


Crooked Kingdom

by queen_of_iceni



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, but also Sweethearts, elements of canon but i veer wayyy off script, percabeth, some total badasses in here ngl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:53:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25350430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_of_iceni/pseuds/queen_of_iceni
Summary: Lady Annabeth Chase is lady-in-waiting to Princess Thalia Grace, who is about to be married off to the prince of a rival kingdom. Once in the hostile court, dangerous events threaten the fragile alliance. In a strange twist of fate, Captain Percy Jackson, son of her mother's rival, is the only one who she can trust. Together, they must save the two kingdoms from an unknown foe who is breaking everything they thought they knew.This sounds very dramatic but its not. It is, in fact, a good old-fashioned Percabeth AU.DISCLAIMER: I don't own this at all, as you will be able to tell
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Luke Castellan/Thalia Grace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 30
Kudos: 71





	1. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth learns of a history unknown to her and Percy receives several warnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly exposition. It's important for setting up the story, but we get into the good stuff (read: the Percabeth) in the next chapter.

_It was a brilliant summer’s day, and, though storm clouds were gathering on the horizon, they were so far that they seemed like a distant memory. The beach was pristine and white, the water clear and blue. A cool breeze toyed with her hair, and her friends sat around her talking, laughing. She looked to the horizon. The clouds were gone, but she could feel tension writhing in her gut. Something was wrong. Something was about to - Thunder crackled above, and lightning flashed down as the heavens opened up and began to pour. Annabeth looked around her, but the darkened skies and heavy rain made it impossible to see and, somehow, she knew she was alone and her friends were gone._

_“Someone help me,” she sobbed, “Someone, please! Help me! HELP- “_

Annabeth awoke, but was able to stop the scream on her lips. This particular nightmare was new, but she had had bad dreams for many years and she did not want to bother others with them. She slowly swung her feet from the bed. As soon as they touched the cold marble, she calmed. She slipped a robe around her shoulders and checked on the princess, who was sleeping restlessly. As soon as she had assured herself that all was well, she stepped out onto her private balcony, the air quiet and still as she preferred it. She absentmindedly watched an ant climb up the ivy that hung lazily over the trellis.

“Annabeth?” Piper ventured tentatively into her line of vision. “I am glad to see you are awake. We must discuss the details of what to take with Princess Thalia when we leave.”

Annabeth took a deep breath. She had been hoping to avoid discussing the small touches, but she knew that she could not do so indefinitely, “I will speak with her today. In the meantime, you have the wonderful task of awakening the princess.”

“Lovely,” Piper grimaced. “Someday, Annabeth, you will marry a rich officer and I will become Thalia’s lady-in-waiting. Then I will order someone else to suffer through the worst of the chores.”

Annabeth laughed, “We both know that you will be married before I. Let us not delude ourselves - I will become an old spinster and Thalia will lay me off. Then, because of your charity, you will allow me to sweep the floors of your mansion, which you will be able to afford because of your marriage to Sir Jason Grace.”

Piper blushed, “I cannot believe we are going to meet him. I do not know _how_ I will act. All the childish fantasy, and now-”

“All the childish fantasy could now be a reality,” Annabeth teased. “Now go. After you wake the princess, I want you to familiarize yourself with the nobles of Hydrius. You clearly already have Sir Jason completed, so that should be a starting point.”

Piper groaned.

By the time Thalia swept downstairs, she was a vision of loveliness, as always. Her sharp features and short, dark hair were softened by the light blue that she was wearing. Her dress had a soft layer of tule covering the soft skirts, and shining pearls had been strategically placed over the places where the tule had been bunched. It looked very much like seafoam, which Annabeth thought was quite appropriate for their arrival in Hydrius. She smiled. Piper had a knack for choosing the correct dress which Annabeth had never possessed.

“You look beautiful,” Annabeth complimented.

“You look… annoyed,” Thalia flung herself into a chair, regardless of the crumpling of her dress. 

“Yes,” Annabeth looked up at her. “This kingdom is so near ours, yet we have never been. My mother refuses to tell me why.”

Thalia took a deep breath, “That is because it is a family feud, not fitting of a royal scandal. My father was disowned by his father as a young child and banished to lead this kingdom, which was a poor part of his empire at the time. My grandfather, King Kronos, still rules Hydrius, though his second eldest son, Poseidon, has taken over most of the actual ruling. With King Kronos ailing, we are finally allowed to enter the kingdom.”

“King Zeus was banished? Over what?”

“Marrying my mother,” Thalia smiled faintly. “He was, in fact, supposed to marry Lady Amphitrite, and Lord Poseidon to marry your mother, Annabeth. You, of course, know what really happened.”

Annabeth did. Lord Poseidon and Lady Amphitrite had married, but she had died in childbirth to Lord Triton many years ago. He had remarried someone who was not a noblewoman, causing quite a stir. King Kronos had declared that any child of Poseidon’s was tainted and not fit to rule, and took on a ward, Luke Castellan, as future king - the man Thalia was set to marry, and whom they were travelling to Hydrius for. King Zeus, on the other hand, fled with Athena, Annabeth’s own mother and, though they had never wed, she remained one of his closest advisors. Zeus’ own wife, Hera, had Thalia as their only child. 

“This marriage, then, is more than just a match for money,” Annabeth concluded. “It is a strategic, political move - meaning that it was most likely orchestrated by my mother.”

“Yes,” Thalia said. “I do not mean to malign her, Annabeth, and I certainly hope that Prince Castellan is all I want in a husband, but I cannot help but think that this marriage is a sacrifice - myself for the future of this kingdom.”

“If it turns out to be so,” Annabeth said gravely. “Than I will steal you away and we can tell the kingdom to-”

“Hello, lovely ladies,” a scrawny boy slid in the room with a wink and a grin. “How goes the morning chat?”

“Leo,” Thalia sighed. “Are you not supposed to be metalworking or something or the other?”

Leo Valdez was a skilled blacksmith, and the youngest to ever hold the title of Chief Blacksmith of the kingdom, and his propensity to flirt with Thalia, Piper, and Annabeth had begun as annoying and was now, admittedly, somewhat endearing.

“The news was just delivered to me,” Leo smirked. “I am coming with you to Hydrius.”

“Oh, no,” Piper had just walked in the room. “This day could not possibly get any worse.”

“Oh, yes, it could,” Thalia primly cut some sausage, then stuffed it into her mouth. “Apparently, Lady Athena is not accompanying us. Father says that she cannot handle being around someone, and I am quoting what he said _he_ was quoting directly from her, ‘an impudent, irresponsible scoundrel such as _Lord_ Poseidon is.’”

“I never knew she hated him so,” Annabeth admitted. “She never spoke kindly of him, but then she never speaks kindly of anyone.”

“You have not heard of their rivalry?” Drew, a kitchen maid, had arrived just in time to catch the last bit of news. Her accent was grating and her disregard for rules irritating, but Annabeth was intrigued enough to let her have her say. “My mum says that in the old days, before King Zeus split from Hydrius, Lady Athena and Lord Poseidon hated each other - would have nothing to do with each other. Constantly competing and all.”

“Must have had something to do with the fact that they were supposed to marry each other,” Annabeth mused, then added, “Thank you, Drew, but you may leave now. Please do not speak out of turn again, it is a habit that you must lose if you are to accompany us to Hydrius.”

“Yes, of course, ma’am,” Drew bobbed her head and practically skipped out of the room.

“I wonder why I have never heard of this, with Athena being my mother.”

“She must have wanted to shield you from knowing of the disgrace of being banished from Hydrius,” Thalia guessed.

“No,” Annabeth shook her head. “She would be proud of such an accomplishment - being banished, then creating a kingdom to rival the other?”

“Might I remind you that my father, the king, helped,” Thalia said with a slight grin.

Piper chuckled, “We all know that is not true, your father most of all.”

“You are not wrong,” Thalia’s expression, once amused, now turned serious. “Your mother, while cold, is a strong asset, Annabeth. I am very worried that she is not going to accompany us to Hydrius.”

 _I as well,_ Annabeth thought to herself, but Thalia was looking to her as a friend for comfort, not as a lady-in-waiting for advice.

“We will be fine,” Annabeth declared. “Come, we must finalize the packing.”

She ignored the feeling of incoming doom in her chest, the one so like she had in her dream - just before the storm hit.

“You’re distracted,” Jason said. “Letting your guard down.”

“Forgive me,” Percy said with mock politeness as he blocked another one of Jason’s thrusts. “I am a little distracted by the prospect of having to protect our kingdom from foes within our borders.”

“Well, you cannot afford to be distracted,” Jason persisted. He swung again, and, with a flick of the wrist, knocked it out of his hand. “Notice, I am not.”

“ _You_ are not Captain of the Guard,” Frank said, with a slight smile. He had been observing the two from a safe distance, and now came forward and retrieved Percy’s sword. “Give him a break, Jason.”

“And I am the one who taught you that move,” Percy said, with his signature smirk.

“If I remember correctly, I am the one who taught _you_ that move,” Prince Luke descended into the arena. “The king has sent me to tell you that a messenger from Exalos, who was sent on ahead by the arriving party, has reached the castle. They are but an hour away.”

“Fantastic,” Percy muttered. “I am sure my father is very pleased about this arrangement.”

“He is,” Luke said, with a slight smile. “It appears that Lady Athena is not with the group, though her daughter is.”

Percy tilted his head thoughtfully, “Is that a strategic move on Lady Athena’s part, or a mere wish to avoid confrontation with the wedding so close?”

“Lady Athena does not avoid confrontation,” Jason reminded him. “I would be wary.”

“I was already wary,” Percy said, turning to Jason. “That is why I am Captain of the Guard, not you.”

“Low blow,” Jason said, but smiled. He had wanted the position for quite some time when the two were competing for it, but now that he saw the skills that leadership took, he had openly admitted to Percy that he was glad the burden had not fallen on his shoulders.

“We must head up to the castle,” Frank said, his eyes still on Luke. He had always had a dislike for the prince, and while Luke and Percy had the closest relationship due to their shared love of swordsmanship, Percy also felt slightly uneasy while around the prince. Perhaps it was that Luke was his replacement, after it was learned that half his blood was that of a commoner, though Percy would never consider his mother, Sally Jackson, to be common. 

Percy followed his friends up to the castle, his mind still wandering. Not only was his father pushing for Luke to marry Princess Thalia, he also wanted Percy to marry some noblewoman from the convoy. It would strengthen the ties between the two kingdoms even further, and it would also, according to his father, keep Percy from his irritating habit of taking unnecessary risks. That had always been a part of Percy’s nature, and he saw no future wife quashing that side of him unless the marriage was arranged.

“Your Majesty,” Percy greeted as he walked into the throne room. He knelt before the king, and stood only when he was beckoned. None of the other three performed that ritual but, then, they were all of purely noble descent. Percy’s blood boiled, but then - it was just that. The boiling blood was not noble and, therefore, punishable. He would never be higher than Captain of the Guard, even with his father as acting king.

Kronos opened his mouth to speak, but all he could manage was, “If you,” before dissolving into a fit of coughing that racked his body. Several servants rushed into the room and helped him out of it, still wheezing. Percy’s father took the throne.

“What he meant to say, Perseus, is that you must keep us safe from whatever danger threatens our kingdom - especially if it comes from within.”

“Of course, my lord,” Percy bowed, though he did not kneel. When he stood up again, his father’s eyes had their customary twinkle. Poseidon dismissed his friends before speaking again.

“Percy, be careful,” he said, no longer a powerful noble, but Percy’s father. “Lady Athena is a cunning adversary, and there must be a reason for her distance. If the city falls, she will be safe at home.”

“Her king, her _daughter_ will not be safe,” Percy protested. “Surely that cannot be what she wants.”

“Her king?” Poseidon scoffed. “If he dies, she will rule. That would be most convenient. As for her daughter… I do not truly believe that Athena is capable of emotion but, if she is, her daughter is most certainly a spy. You must keep a close eye on her.”

Percy nodded, “I will do so. If you will excuse me, father, I wish to bathe and change for our new arrivals.”

Poseidon waved his hand absentmindedly. His eyes, normally a clear blue with a slight sparkle, were now a stormy gray, most similar to those of his oldest enemy.

Percy dressed in his fanciest Captain of the Guard uniform, the one he usually saved for large events at the castle. It was sea-green and white which, incidentally, complimented his eyes and skin tone very nicely. Jason arrived in nearly identical dress, though his was slightly less sleek. They were both certainly more conservative than Prince Luke’s costume, which was an elaborate display of colors and jewels. Frank, as always, dressed in dark, unbecoming colors since he was Percy’s third in command and need not be brought to anyone’s attention. Percy’s hands were sweating, but he avoided clutching the hilt of his sword which was a habit when he was nervous. Frank and Jason went out to meet the convoy at the gates, while Percy remained behind with Lord Poseidon, King Kronos, and Prince Luke. He sidled up to the prince while the king and his father were engaged in conversation that appeared to be mostly one sided.

“Are you nervous?” he asked. This was not a normal question, since he and Luke were not close friends, but Percy knew that if he was about to meet his future wife, he would want someone to talk with. He was mistaken.

“It does not matter,” Luke said resolutely, his eyes betraying no hint of emotion. Percy stepped back, feeling the reprimand like a blow. He did not like Luke, did not like this event, and wished more than ever that his friends were at his side. Even better would be his mother. Her eyes, her smile, her hair, her smell - everything about her calmed him to the point where he could focus. His father had largely been absent from his life, though never unkind, and Percy did not feel as though they were close enough from him to go to him with his problems. At the moment, his only problem was a deep sense of foreboding in his gut.

“You must be careful,” Percy once again spoke to Luke, this time respectfully behind him. “No matter how beautiful your bride is, or how sincere, there are people in Exalos who wish to see us fall.”

“You think I do not know this?” Luke snapped. “Spare me the lecture, for the king has given it to me already.”

“My job is to keep you safe,” Percy replied simply.

“Your job is to keep the king safe,” Luke retorted, though they both knew that it was a weak argument. There was no point in protecting the king, since there would be no point in killing him. He was a dying man. 

“Just be careful,” was Percy’s only response, just as the the sounds of hoofbeats echoed in the distance. Jason and Frank came galloping up to meet them and, behind them, three carriages ambled slowly up the high hill. 

“Welcome,” King Kronos croaked as King Zeus stepped out from the carriage. Poseidon greeted his brother with a friendly clap on the back, and Percy wondered, for the first time, if he resented Zeus being king while he would only ever be a noble. Kronos was hurried back inside, as the dust in the air was causing his lungs to act up. Prince Luke stepped forward to greet them, with Percy close on his heels, and Jason and Frank close on his. Queen Hera stepped out of the carriage next, a vision of loveliness in her native colors, deep blue and brilliant gold. Finally from the carriage stepped Princess Thalia and her lady-in-waiting. The princess, Percy noted with appreciation, was resplendent in the colors of Hydrius. Her lady-in-waiting was just behind him, and Percy’s eyes were focused on her. That was Annabeth Chase, daughter of Lady Athena, the one he must watch. Percy admitted solely to himself that he had not expected her to be beautiful. 

“Princess Thalia, Lady Annabeth,” Prince Luke greeted them. His eyes lingered on Thalia, and hers on him. Lady Annabeth, however, turned to look directly at Percy. They held each other’s gazes until Thalia beckoned her away as they were led to their rooms. From the other two carriages, a small group of servants descended, carrying heaps of luggage. Percy ordered Frank to go and assist them as he himself accompanied the prince inside and Jason escorted the princess and her maids to their room.

Percy took a deep breath as Luke and his father exchanged formalities with the visiting king and queen. That was Annabeth Chase, then, his worthy opponent, the one who could be plotting to overthrow his kingdom. He had seen a portrait of her mother, once, and she looked nothing like the dark-haired, fine-boned woman. Only their eyes were similar - the same calculating, steely gray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for talking about Annabeth's eyes. Actually, eyes in general. And Annabeth in general. I can't wait for the two to actually meet! It's coming soon, of course. I was never very patient :)


	2. Swordfighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth watches a fight and Percy has a bad dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's head right on into the plot, shall we? I have many fun things in store, but this chapter is the barest hint of excitement (mostly meaningless character interactions).

“It’s quite lovely here,” Piper observed, trailing her hand along the balcony. It overlooked a garden and beyond lay the sea. The cool ocean breeze brushed Annabeth’s face and, while she could appreciate it now, she missed the quiet stillness of home. “Princess Thalia will be very happy.”

“I am glad to hear it,” Sir Jason, who had escorted them to their rooms, lingered awkwardly in the doorway. “I shall leave you to rest, it must have been a long journey. Prince Luke would be delighted if the princess could join the royal family for a banquet in their honor in four hours.”

“I would be delighted to accept,” Thalia swept into the room, grinning broadly. “Thank you very much.”

Jason, recognizing the dismissal, left. Thalia collapsed onto the bed.

“Matters of the state are complicated,” she announced, “But he is attractive, which is a point in his favor.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Annabeth smiled, joining her on the bed. “I found him disconcerting, but if you did not than you will have no trouble at all marrying him.”

“There you are again, overanalyzing everything,” Piper rolled her eyes. “I, for one, also found him attractive, though not quite so handsome as Sir Jason.”

Annabeth smirked, “It is nice to know that you two have a type.”

“What is your type?” Piper asked. “So far as I know, you have never been smitten with anyone. Would Leo suit your tastes?” she joked.

“My tastes extend to Princess Thalia being alive and well,” Annabeth took a deep breath. “I have no time for anyone else.”

“Depressing, but thoughtful,” Thalia shrugged. “I will find you a man at this court, Annabeth, if it is the last thing I do.”

“ _ Please _ do not say that,” Annabeth scolded. “I am very worried about this court. It seems filled with people trying to harm you.”

“You always find plots when there are none,” Piper chided. “Close your eyes for once.”

“Better than not finding a plot when there is one,” Annabeth insisted. “My mother, the Captain of the Guard, is not here and I cannot discern the reason. That is suspicious on its own. Then, when we were greeting the prince, their captain was observing me, and only me. Everyone is on their guard, and I think it would be foolish for us to let down ours.”

“Their captain?” Piper mused. “I noticed him. He is not my type.”

“Is that all you gathered from my speech?” Annabeth said indignantly.

“No, no,” Thalia said dismissively. “Caution, evil plots, suspicious men, we heard it all. I hate how you are pretending to be your mother, Annabeth. You are much more mellow than she. Come, stop being despondent.”

“We have more to do than chat of men. We can explore the grounds,” Annabeth agreed reluctantly.

“Let me change out of this ridiculous outfit first,” Thalia stood up, and turned for Piper to undo her laces. “Then I will happily walk the grounds with you. And, Annabeth, what would you rather talk about, other than men? I hate talking of work with you. Sewing?”

“My mother happens to be very good at sewing,” Annabeth said mildly. “And you know, better than anyone, that that is not all a woman is fit for.”

“Ah, there is my Annabeth,” Piper said proudly. “No more fits of moroseness for you, darling. Soon you will be in a raging mood and I will have you back as yourself again.”

Thalia laughed, “We will not have to wait long. I bet it is before dinner.”

“I bet it is before we leave the castle,” Piper countered. Annabeth threw a pillow at her.

Annabeth kept her temper throughout their whole venture out, though that was mostly because of her amazement. She had always had an amateur love of architecture, and the arches and walkways lining the garden were astonishingly elegant. The garden itself was beautiful as well, and while Annabeth had never had much time for flowers, she could not help but admire these. Currently, the girls were seated on a park bench with the drooping branches of a weeping willow giving them shade from the beating sun. Annabeth was sweating, and had long ago ditched her overlayers for the simple slip underneath. If anyone saw her, they would panic, but the gardens appeared to be deserted. The topic of conversation had centered mainly on Prince Luke, but the sounds of clashing sword brought Sir Jason Grace to Piper’s mind. She was talking wildly about him, listing his accomplishments and fantasizing about the scar on his lip.

“Oh, this is absurd,” Thalia said. “Piper, you have never been boy obssessed, what has caused this change?”

“It is not what, it is who, and we all know the answer to that,” Annabeth stood up suddenly. “Come, Piper. There is only one thing that will quench her thirst now, Thalia, and, luckily, I’m sure it is close by.”

“No!” Piper, who understood immediately, clutched at Annabeth’s arm. Thalia took a second to catch on, then stood up as well, smirking.

“Two against one, and I am your princess,” Thalia declared. “Let us go watch them practice. Never fear - it may be some lowly soldiers practicing. We could never be in trouble for that.”

It was not lowly soldiers. They peered out at the arena from behind a rather large butterfly bush that encircled the arena. Sir Jason and Perseus Jackson were sparring furiously in the ring, sword hitting sword, feet scuffling in the dust. Piper was mesmerized by the sight of Jason’s rippling muscles, for they were both shirtless, but Annabeth was hypnotized by the movements of the sword. It was like an intricate dance, a deadly waltz, where both partners knew the rules so intimately the steps were played out too fast for passersby. Unconciously, her hands began to move, matching the swings of the sword, her mind analyzing every move and storing the flicks of the wrist and the shift of the feet in her memory. By the time Perseus disarmed his second in command, Annabeth was breathless with amazement. Thalia was staring at her with amusement.

“Enticed by the sight? Has Piper got competition?” she mused. Annabeth barely heard her.

“I have to learn how to do that,” she breathed. 

“What?” Piper turned sharply, but her foot’s grip on a rock slipped and she tumbled out down the slope. Annabeth hurried after her, the slip giving her a freedom of movement that Thalia did not have. She caught the girl before she hurt herself, but it was too late. They had caught the attention of the two sparring in the ring, as well as the third in command who had been observing. All the boys colored and hastily tugged on their shirts. Too late Annabeth realized she was not dressed for this encounter. The only way to face it now was to brazenly ignore the fact that she was indecently dressed.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Annabeth said, just as Thalia emerged some distance away from the bush. How she had managed that, Annabeth did not know, but at least it did not look as though they had been spying. “Please, continue.”

Perseus was the only one without his eyes averted. He was studying her face as intently as before, and it was not with admiration. “What were you doing?”

“Strolling the grounds,” Annabeth said, somewhat truthfully. “Lady Piper slipped and fell,” then, before she could stop herself, she added, “When did you learn to fight?”

“We have learned since we were small children,” Sir Jason said, after a brief pause. “But, formally, when we were fourteen.” 

“Five years?” Piper asked, impressed. Jason looked askance at the fact that she knew his age, but nodded his consent. “Fascinating.”

“We must be off,” Thalia said with as sophisticated a turn as she could manage on the grassy slope. “I hope to see you all at dinner.”

“Jason and myself will be attending,” Perseus said. “Frank will oversee security for the night, so that any attackers can be quickly and efficiently dealt with.”

It sounded almost like a threat. Annabeth smiled politely, but it did not reach her eyes. The three of them turned to go and none of them talked until they were out of earshot. Then they burst into laughter, Piper gesturing wildly at Annabeth’s state of undress and Thalia teasing Piper of her unfortunate fall. Annabeth joined in, but she could still feel the intensity of the fight running through her veins.

Percy hated the extravagance of royal dinners. His uniform was stiflingly crisp and the many candles, which were supposed to lend ambiance, merely made the room uncomfortably hot. He noticed Jason, who was the official guard in charge of protecting the visiting party, chatting with one of the girls who had talked with them earlier that afternoon - Piper, Percy thought. She was pretty enough, but Jason never bed a woman just for fun. He had to have an emotional attatchment first. Percy allowed himself a grin. Piper, with her seemingly textbook knowledge of Jason, must be a fan. Jason was oblivious to the fact that he had fans.

“Is that a smile I see?”

In his reverie, Percy had not been paying attention to his surroudings. Annabeth had snuck up on him. She was wearing a dress of light blue and blue green, a tribute to the diplomacy of the two kingdoms and a similar dress to that of her princess. Her eyes were sparkling, but Percy could have sworn he saw deceit lingering beneath.

“Is it so unusual for someone to smile that you must comment upon it?” Percy replied, his eyes fixed on Prince Luke, as they were supposed to be at all times.

“All the time I have seen you, your face has been a mask of displeasure,” Annabeth leaned against the wall behind them. Percy did not like the fact that their clothes matched.

“Have you been watching me, then?” was he flirting with her? Percy scolded himself slightly. She was the enemy, no matter how innocent she was acting.

“Only as much as you have been watching me,” Annabeth said in response. 

“Quite a bit, then,” Percy finally looked at her, and kept his gaze dispassioinate. “Let us dispense with the pleasantries. I do not trust you, and I will be watching your every move.”

“You are certainly not being covert about it,” she said lightly, but Percy could see the surprise in her eyes, which in turn startled him. Had she not suspected that he would distrust her? Was that because she knew how to appear guileless and expected him to fall for it, or because she had nothing to hide? “If we are dispensing with pleasantries, then I want to ask a favor of you.”

“Ask, then,” Percy said, a little rudely. 

“Train me,” all her coyness had disappeared, and he saw an intense look in her eyes that did not seem to conceal anything. “In the art of sworfighting.”

“What?” for once, Percy was caught completely offguard. 

“Train m-”

“I heard you the first time, I was just… surprised, that is all,” Percy took a second to compose his thoughts. “Why do you want to know how to fight?”

“While my mother is away, there is no one to defend my princess,” Annabeth said quickly. Too quickly. “I must be able to protect her.”

“Jason can do that,” Percy pointed out. 

“And if there is an attack at night?” Annabeth questioned. “I can hardly expect that he will stand guard outside her chambers at night. There needs to be someone close at hand who can defend her safety. I am more than willing to be that person.”

“We both know that you are lying,” Percy took a stab in the dark but knew he had been correct when she blushed. “I could easily arrange for night shifts for my guards, and if you were really so keen to protect her, you would have taken precautions before you arrived.”

“Fine,” Annabeth looked away from him, surveying the guests. “Alright, fine,” she said again, as though steeling herself. After a few seconds had passed he calmed down. She had stopped asking, which meant that he could relax a little bit, though he was concerned with her presence beside him. As suddenly as though she had been struck be lightening, she swung herself in front of him.

“Why should men have all the fun?” she demanded. Percy’s eyes widened.

“Fun? You consider swinging sharp objects at an opponent while trying not to be dismembered by said sharp object in sweltering heat fun?”

“Yes,” Annabeth said stoutly. “I consider fighting for your life with poise and grace quite fun, actually. I believe I would make a fine swordsman, and I know you are Captain of the Guard. I would like you to teach me.”

“What would be in it for me?” Percy asked. He took a sip of wine, fighting to keep nonchalant. She sparked his intrigue - that, at least, he could admit to himself.

“You can keep a close eye on me,” Annabeth said. Percy raised his eyebrow. “ _ And _ I will share any missives from my mother with you.”

Percy’s mouth practically fell open. There was no way Annabeth would offer that if she was a spy - unless the two had arranged ahead of time that they would communicate by some other means in order to gain his trust.

“We do not correspond often,” Annabeth shrugged. “And you clearly suspect my allegiance to her.”

“You swear to me?” Percy knew that this was a stellar opportunity. Even if the letters were not incriminating, he could learn much from them. And if he could share them with his father, he would congratulate him on a job well done, not chastise him for fraternizing with the enemy.

“Yes, yes, if you promise to teach me.”

“Done,” Percy took a large gulp of wine, finishing it off, then set it down. He turned to look at her once more. Her eyes were shining. It was… charming. He shook the feeling off. He could not afford to like her, he would be too busy saving his kingdom from her. “Meet me tomorrow morning at five in the arena.”

“Four,” Annabeth challenged. Percy rolled his eyes.

“Fine, four.”

His gaze turned to Luke, as it had to every so often, and when he looked back, she was gone. 

That night, Percy dreamed of a horse colliding with an eagle on a pristine beach, the collision causing a meteor. Both the animals lay dead in the center and, from a deep hole in the middle of the crater emerged a strange creature. Percy peered, but he could not see what it was. Then, just as the dream was changing, the shore being washed away by the relentless sea, he caught a glimpse of the creature, flying straight at him. A deep laugh sounded from the crater, malevolent and ancient. The creature reached at him with its talons, coming straight at his face. It was about to rip his face off, he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, it was upon him-

He woke in a cold sweat just as the creatures claws were ripping into him.He took a deep breath and stood, steadying his shaky legs and wrapping himself in a warm robe. He settled himself as the balcony, trying to forget the dream, a cup of piping hot coffee in his hand.

“Percy? Are you all right?” his mother stepped into the room. “I heard you screaming.”

“It was a bad dream,” Percy curled a little tighter inward on himself. She settled her arm around him and he leaned into her warmth. She smelled, as always, of baking and cinammon. Her hand combed through his hair as he relayed the dream to her.

“It  _ was _ bad dream,” she agreed. “But it was just that - a dream. You must sleep tonight, my dear. You have long weeks ahead of you.”

“I know,” Percy straightened and her arm fell off his shoulders. He put on as convincing a smile as he could manage. “I’ll try and get back to sleep. Thanks, Mother.”

“Of course,” Sally smiled and stood. He walked with her into his room and let her tuck him in, even though he was far too old for such a thing. She kissed his forehead and smiled lovingly at him before leaving to return to his parent’s room.

Percy knew he wouldn’t be sleeping much more that night. The dream had given him much to think about, for the creature that had emerged from the smoking crater was an owl - the animal that symbolized none other than Lady Athena’s family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: our favorite lovers spend some quality time together


	3. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth gets a knife and Percy gets an ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that's right - we're getting some Percabeth action. Some quality sword-fighting time, what could be better? We also start to get into the plot... trickery and deceit ahead of course.

Annabeth woke at three in the morning, feeling sluggish and uncoordinated. It wasn’t a great start to the day, but she splashed some cold water in her face and slipped into one of her only pairs of trousers. She thanked the gods her mother had had enough foresight to have this made for her, though Annabeth had shunned the use of it when she had first received the gift. She traced her steps to the arena easily enough, and was pleasantly surprised to see that she was there before Percy. A large bronze dagger was stuck inside a dummy on the far end and, seeing as there were no other weapons around, she grabbed the hilt and tugged it out. The dagger felt balanced in her hand, and she swung it around experimentally. It was foreign, for sure, but also strangely familiar. She moved her feet in the way she remembered the boys had, and lunged out with her dagger.

“Interesting,” Perseus’ voice came from behind her. She spun around to meet him, dagger at the ready, face flushed. “I thought you said you have never learned to fight.”

“I did  _ not _ say that,” Annabeth said stubbornly. “But I haven’t.”

“How did you know to do that, then?” Perseus asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“I...er,” Annabeth stuttered, aware that she must reveal her spying if she told the truth, “Watched a few soldiers fight. I studied their movements very carefully.”

Perseus laughed. It was sincere, and Annabeth had not expected it to be.

“You spied on Jason and I fighting?”

“Me and Jason,” she corrected absentmindedly. “How did you know?”

“That is a move that only Jason and I know, since I made it up.”

“Well, now I know it, too,” Annabeth said defensively, as though he might go back on their arrangement for her transgression.

“How many times have you watched us?” Perseus took the dagger from her hands and held it up to the light.

“Once,” Annabeth replied. He looked startled at her.

“Once? That’s amazing,” to Annabeth’s surprise, he wasn’t being sarcastic. “Where did you find this dagger?”

Annabeth had no reason to lie, “In that dummy over there.”

“I must tell Prince Luke to take greater care of his weapons,” Perseus shook his head. Annabeth flushed again. She had used the Crown Prince’s dagger. That was surely not court etiquette, but Perseus didn’t seem to mind. He gave her a sword, though it was far more unwieldy than the dagger had been. He taught her basic moves, and they sparred. She wasn’t half-bad, either, and they both found her to be a quick learner. They kept fighting for the better part of two hours, with short water breaks in between. Neither of them spoke much, except for Perseus’ instructions, but they fell into a sort of rhythm that suited Annabeth just fine. When the clocks chimed six o’ clock, Annabeth put down her weapon.

“I must return to the princess,” she said. “Thank you for this lesson. Can I expect another one?”

“Yes,” Perseus said, “Though my schedule makes it impossible to do every day. Perhaps twice a week? In three day’s time, I am free again.”

Annabeth wondered what kept him so busy at four in the morning, but did not comment, merely nodded.

“You are a quick study, but you are simply not strong enough, or fast enough,” Perseus added. “You have to begin this workout routine, and follow it every day.”

He listed off various exercises. They sounded like torture, but they were a small price to pay to become a whirlwind like that she had seen Perseus and Jason become earlier. She nodded again, and began trekking her way back up to the castle. When Piper asked her where she had been that morning, she merely said a stroll through the grounds. She could not fathom why she had lied but, for some reason, that quiet, early time was just for herself - and for Perseus, of course. What that meant, she did not know. She decided not to think about it. He was the son of her mother’s greatest rivals. She would not suddenly befriend him simply because he was teaching her how to fight.

Princess Thalia woke later in the day, and the girls took breakfast in their room. Leo joined them for the end part of it, though he was merely there to escort Piper around the grounds. The two of them had been as close as siblings for a long time, but both had assured Thalia that they were not romantically inclined, which was good - Leo’s lesser station would cause a scandal Piper could not afford. They returned within the hour so that they could gather supplies for a picnic.

When someone knocked on the door, Piper hastened to open it. Sure enough, it was Sir Jason. Annabeth knew they had talked all of last night, and Piper’s smile was as bright as the sun. Annabeth hid her own grin, and couldn’t look at Thalia for fear she might burst out laughing. Jason murmured something about the royal family having dinner, which Piper accepted, of course. Thalia, afterwards, muttered something about finding her parents and discussing politics with them - though Annabeth could see from the blush on her face that she was probably going to have a ‘chance’ run in with Prince Luke. She had taken quite a liking to him, which Annabeth was glad to see. Piper left with Leo for their picnic so, when there was another knock on their door, Annabeth was alone to open it.

Standing there was Perseus, holding something behind his back.

“Princess Thalia is out,” Annabeth stepped back to let him inside the sitting room. He came in hesitantly.

“I’m here to see you, actually,” he said, with a mischievous grin that Annabeth had not seen before but fit his features well. “I brought something for you.”

From behind his back he brought out the bronze dagger she had first use - Prince Luke’s dagger.

“For me?” Annabeth exclaimed, the pretense of formality gone. “I thought it was Prince Luke’s?”

“It was, but it suited you, and he was not remarkably attached,” Perseus handed it to her and she took it gratefully. “He says it is a gift to show that he one day hopes to be a family where promises are not broken.”

“That is very kind,” Annabeth cradled the dagger. “Thank you, Perseus.”

“Percy, please,” he smirked again. The name fit him - at least this troublemaking side that she had not seen before.

“Percy,” she repeated. “Very well. I hope to see you at dinner?”

“Of course,” he bowed his way out of the room, and Annabeth could feel the sarcasm radiating off the gesture from the glint in his eyes. For some reason, it did not feel malicious, though it had every right to be.

“Oh, go away,” she rolled her eyes as he stayed in a deep bow. When she slammed the door in his face, she heard laughter echoing down the hallway as he walked away. 

That night, dinner was a masterpiece. It was laid out on the table in the shape of a horse and an eagle, holding a set of laurels in their mouths between them. Annabeth and everyone else appreciated the symbolic design, aside from Percy, whose eyebrows scrunched together when he saw it. Annabeth put that out of her mind for now. Besides the presentation, the food was delicious, and Annabeth had a wonderful time chatting with Piper, Leo, and Hazel - the Stable Master for Exalos. The evening was going well, but the feeling of apprehension in Annabeth’s gut hadn’t lessened, and she knew to trust her instincts, though she couldn’t rely solely on them. Percy’s increasingly nervous glances didn’t help, but Annabeth forced herself to stop watching him. It was his job to be nervous, after all.

The night was almost over - King Kronos had retired long ago and King Zeus, Queen Hera, and Lord Poseidon had all retreated into another room to discuss wedding dates. Thalia and Luke were chatting quietly in a corner, and Piper had engaged Hazel in conversation about horses or, more specifically, Jason’s horse. Annabeth studied Percy as covertly as she could, though she didn’t need to hide it. He seemed entirely occupied with his thoughts. She wondered what he was thinking, if it were of treason and deceit, or sword-fighting, or politics, or the upcoming wedding. Or her.

She had become lost in her own thoughts and forgot to turn away when he glanced in her direction. Their eyes met, and they both blushed and looked away. Piper raised an inquisitive brow at her, but before she could explain a trumpet sounded in the distance. Instantly, Percy, Jason, and Luke were at alert. Percy was out of the room in the next second, with Annabeth close on his heels. She had done her research, and she knew that the trumpets of Exalos signaled an intruder to the castle. Jason, who had caught up with the pair, furrowed his brows at Annabeth’s presence, but Percy seemed resigned to her, as if he had known that she would follow. 

They arrived at the castle gates where Frank was already waiting there for them, panting a bit.

“The intruder scaled the wall,” he said. “He managed to evade our archers with an explosive diversion that took out part of the wall and the archers on it. The explosion was set off manually by a different conspirator. The perpetrator died with the bomb. The intruder ran across the ground and, using one of our own bows, I think stolen from one of the fallen archers, he shot an arrow to stop the drawbridge from being pulled up. He was almost across the bridge, but luckily our horses alerted the guards in time for the trumpet to sound and to capture him. We managed to take him in alive.”

“Good,” Percy said. “I’m going to the dungeons to question him. Jason, you assign some guards to protect the part of the missing wall. Frank, find someone who can fix the wall.”

Frank looked a bit nervous, so Annabeth decided to intervene.

“Our best metalworker, Leo Valdez, is with us,” she put in. “He’s a bit unconventional, but he can get the job done quickly.”

Percy glared at her, “I don’t trust him to build it strongly enough.”

Annabeth heard the implied message. Percy couldn’t trust them to rebuild the structure because they might purposely create a weak point in order to secretly enter the castle again.

“Why would we need to breach the wall?” Annabeth demanded. Jason and Frank looked a little lost. Obviously they had not followed her train of thought. “We’re already inside the castle.”

“If you needed to make it look like an outside job,” Percy countered. “It would be a perfect opportunity.”

“You really don’t put anything past us,” Annabeth groaned in frustration. It was a good point, though. “Fine. Hire someone to oversee Leo. That way, you can be assured it’s safe, and get the job done quickly. In the meantime, I will accompany Percy to the interrogation. Don’t worry,” she directly addressed Percy, “I will keep to the back and not interrupt or intervene.”

Jason and Frank openly stared at her now, disbelief plain in their eyes. She smiled the most ladylike smile she could muster.

“Well?” Percy gave Jason a shove with his shoulder. “Get to it!”

“You’re not upset?” it was Annabeth’s turn to be startled.

“I… You…” Percy took a deep breath, then tried again. “I can’t argue with you. My head is telling me to lock you in a godsdamned prison cell along with the assailant, but my gut tells me that I can trust you.”

“And you’re going with your gut?” Annabeth said, astonished. “I never do that.”

“Difference between you and me,” Percy smirked and began walking away. Annabeth followed him. “And it’s never been wrong yet.”

Percy was irrationally pleased that Annabeth didn’t mind the stench or filthiness of the dungeons. She seemed focused on one goal, and one goal only. The truth. Her eyes had the same scary, intense look as they did when she was sword-fighting. If she ever leveled that gaze against him and meant it, he would drop his weapons and give in to all her demands. Then he would probably wet himself.

“He’s in here,” Percy gestured to the end of the hall, where they kept people who were detained but not convicted. The shouts of the prisoners, who could see Annabeth in her fine clothes, faded away as he shut the door behind them. Percy peered at the prisoner and realized with a start that they were probably the same age. The boy had dark hair, was wrapped in a cloak, and one of his eyes was covered by a dark patch.

“What’s your name?” Percy made his voice firm, but not unkind. The boy stared up at him, silent and unmoving. Percy sighed. “We can use various torture techniques to get it out of you, you know. It would be much pleasanter for you if we didn’t have to.”

“And pleasanter for the lady,” the boy nodded towards Annabeth. She scowled and crossed her arms.

“‘The lady’ couldn’t care less if you live or die or die excruciatingly. I care only of my princess, whose safety you threatened earlier this evening. Tell us your name, or I will begin carving you up myself.”

The boy had the decency to look as startled as Percy felt, though he hid it. Annabeth did have a dark side, then. He would have to watch her. It was useful, though, that her threats had made an impression. The boy began speaking.

“Ethan Nakumara,” he muttered. “Don’t bother looking for family. You won’t find any. My mother’s dead and, if she were alive, she’d give me up in a heartbeat.”

“Was she the one who…?” Annabeth gestured to his eye. Again, Percy was taken aback. A mother could never do that to a child. And yet, Annabeth’s mother was nothing like Sally Jackson and, apparently, neither was Ethan’s. He nodded, his teeth clenched.

“She told me life wasn’t fair,” he said. “Then she cut my eye out.”

Percy paused. No torture they used would work on this boy if his own mother had cut his eye out. If Annabeth pretended to be on Ethan’s side, united against Percy, though, they could possibly get information out of him.

“Fantastic,” Percy said. “Is that why you and your friend risked your lives to get a shot at the king? To teach him that life wasn’t fair?”

“We weren’t going for the king,” Ethan said with a smirk. “We were going for Lord Poseidon. And even  _ you _ would risk your life for the reward I’m getting.”

“A death sentence?” Percy scoffed. “Some reward.”

“Lady Athena will get me out of this prison cell,” Ethan’s smirk was more pronounced than ever. It looked nothing like Percy’s own - there was no mischief in it, only pain. “Isn’t that right Lady Annabeth?”

Percy froze, his heart beating wildly. Here it was - the proof of a plot against Prince Luke devised by Lady Athena herself. The plan had been clever, but she hadn’t accounted for the horses, as many had failed to do. He could easily take this prisoner to the king and have him executed - then declare war on Hydrius. His father’s honor would be avenged. This was just like Lady Athena, to want revenge after so many years.

His dream from the night before now seemed prophetic - the horse and the eagle, the two symbols of the two kingdoms, fighting. They both perished and from their ruin emerged an owl, the symbol of Lady Athena and her daughter. But he remembered the laugh from the dream, a fourth player. Who could that be? Percy, at least, needed more answers before a war.

And Annabeth looked just as surprised as he was. Perhaps she was an amazingly good actress, but the expression of mingled horror and apprehension was too vivid when she looked directly at him. She knew where his mind was, and she didn’t think it was true. Percy’s head was spinning, and he needed to order it. He dragged Annabeth out of the room with halfhearted threats to the prisoner and the door to the interrogation room clanged shut. Percy stared at Annabeth, unable to collect his thoughts. She had no such trouble.

“Tell me you don’t believe him,” Annabeth said immediately, reaching a hand out for his arm. She grasped it and he opened his mouth, then shut it again. He took a deep breath, stealing himself for words he, a week ago, would never have uttered.

“Tell me why I  _ shouldn’t _ .”

“First of all, you know my mother is clever and conniving,” Annabeth began, calmer after his admission of uncertainty. “She would never give her name to an underling - an underling who could potentially be captured. And she would not have forgotten about the trained horses that protect you all - remember, she used to live here. The job would never be done so sloppily. Besides that, Percy, what does she have to gain from your father’s death? We lose the alliance, and she loses the faith of the king. Ethan wasn’t targeting King Zeus or King Kronos. He was targeting Lord Poseidon, for whatever reason. My mother may be cunning, but she is not foolhardy. Revenge holds nothing for her, not when she has more power than Poseidon, anyway.”

“Say I believe you,” Percy was beginning to. She removed her hand from his arm with a relieved sigh. “Who would do such a thing? Why would they try to frame Lady Athena?”

“Someone who is trying to drive our kingdoms to war,” Annabeth leaned against the wall, unmindful of its dirtiness, thinking. “Someone who stands to gain from the kingdom’s falling.”

“Someone that clever could not be stupid enough to send a spy in here with Lady Athena’s name ready to fall from his lips.”

“Wouldn’t they?” Annabeth wondered. “If I hadn’t been here, would you have stopped to think about the possibility of my mother’s innocence? Or would you have marched up to the throne room and asked for a war?”

Percy didn’t have to deliberate the question. He knew the answer already.

“Who, then?”

“I don’t know,” Annabeth was frustrated. “But you  _ are _ right, this attempt was messy for anyone. The intruders didn’t stand a chance. It almost seems like-”

They reached the conclusion at the same time, just as the trumpet sounded once more. The whole plot had been a clever ploy to get Percy, Jason, and Frank out of the way. Percy didn’t wait for Annabeth, though he knew that she was behind him. His footsteps thundered as he raced out of the dungeons and up to the throne room, where the prince was undoubtedly sheltered. His father would also be there. When he arrived, completely out of breath, his father was sitting there, unharmed. Percy allowed himself a relieved sigh until he noticed his father’s face. It was white with worry and tense with apprehension. When he caught sight of his son, he ran to him, and Percy was able to make out the tell-tale puffy eyes and traces of tears.

“They took her,” his father gasped, and he was not Lord Poseidon in those moments. Percy looked around, confused, at the gathering. Everyone important was present. But who was his father referring to?

It hit Percy in the next second, and he had to grab onto his father to keep from falling to his knees. The one woman in the world who was just as important to the two of them, the one woman for whom Percy would declare war on ten thousand kingdoms if it gave him a single chance of keeping her safe.

They had taken his mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think of the two of them. They're OOC ofc, but Percy has to be less fun-loving and more responsible, and Annabeth can't be quite as badass as usual - although she's getting there. Also, one of the aspects of Percabeth I love most is their best friends to lovers relationship, but obviously that can't be a thing here. I'm trying to do it justice as best I can.


	4. Lady Athena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth sends a letter and Percy meets an enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very transition-oriented but there are some Percabeth moments along with the arrival of a few new characters.

Annabeth wanted to talk to Percy, but she knew that wouldn’t be wise. The captain of the guard would not want to see her, and she had no legitimate reason for visiting him. Instead, she sat next to Thalia, waiting for news. Both were fidgeting restlessly as neither liked to sit around and wait for things to be brought to them.

“Do you think she is alright? Sally Jackson?” Thalia asked at last. Annabeth wanted to lie to her, to keep her friend from thinking the way she was, but Thalia could always see right through her lies.

“No,” Annabeth took a deep breath. “She is not a noblewoman and so, in the eyes of many courts, not worth holding hostage. Taking her was a show of our powerlessness, even inside the castle.”

“But who could want to do such a thing?”

Annabeth hadn’t told Thalia about Ethan identifying her mother. She couldn’t. Thalia would be honor bound to tell her parents and then, suddenly, the news would become far more serious. Lord Poseidon would be harder to convince than his son and, after Sally Jackson had been taken, Annabeth wasn’t sure that Percy was still on her side. 

“A rival kingdom, perhaps,” Annabeth said.

“ _We_ are the only rival kingdom,” Thalia rolled her eyes, then froze. “Oh, my. Annabeth - we are the only rival kingdom.”

“Yes,” Annabeth agreed. “We are.”

“They will blame us for her kidnapping,” Thalia stood and began to pace. “They will declare war on us, Annabeth. We do not have the forces to take them. We will be decimated.”

“We have equal force,” Annabeth countered. “We will both be decimated. Someone is trying to set us against each other, but who?”

“You know who will have answers? Someone who has studied battle strategy for many years, and has worked for both kingdoms,” Thalia said.

“Chiron!” Annabeth exclaimed. “Of course! I will write a letter to him immediately. Meanwhile, you must try and convince Prince Luke that this incident was not our fault. Perseus and his father will most likely be too heartbroken to listen to reason, but…”

“I will try,” Thalia assured her. She stood to go, then turned back to Annabeth once again. “We didn’t do it, did we?”

“I don’t know,” Annabeth said miserably. She would have to write a letter to her mother as well, though she must share the response with Percy, as per their deal. “I sincerely hope not.”

“I really like him,” Thalia opened the door, but waited for Annabeth’s response. Annabeth said nothing, and Thalia left, shutting the door quietly behind her. 

Thalia and Piper were smart and brave, but they had always let their emotions rule them. Annabeth was supposed to be the levelheaded one of the group. Now, all she could feel was a sense that she was in too deep, that she would drown if she kept searching for answers. She calmed her thoughts and picked up a pen. The letter to Chiron was easy. Annabeth had never known her father well - a nobleman by the name of Frederick who had rejected her when she was a baby - and Chiron had always stood in his place as a father figure of sorts. He had spent half his year at Exalos and half at Hydrius, the only person allowed to visit both places though under an oath of secrecy. 

Her mother was more difficult. She had to choose her words carefully, not only because this letter could not be construed as a conspiracy, but also because her mother valued good writing and was more likely to write a meaningful response to a well written letter. She was careful not to accuse her mother directly, but she made her suspicions very clear.

When she was finished, she sent it off with an owl from the Exalos owlery. It smelled like droppings and grass, but it was comforting to hear the soft cooing of owls around her.

“Writing to your mother?” 

Annabeth whirled around. Percy was standing there, a customary grin on his face. She hadn’t expected to see him here in such good humor, especially with her.

“Yes,” she replied. “You’ll get to see the response when it comes. Any news of your mother?”

Too late, she cursed her lack of tact. This question would probably send Percy into a raging fit worthy of a king. Surprisingly, his grin merely faded a bit.

“Yes, actually,” he pursed his lips. “We got a ransom note.”

“That’s good news!” Annabeth did not have to pretend to be relieved. “That means she is alive. What did they ask for?”

“An object I thought was a myth,” Percy said vaguely. Annabeth put her hands on her hips, and he held his hands up in surrender. “The Helm of Darkness.”

“The helmet that is so dark it makes the wearer melt into the shadows?” Annabeth scoffed. “It _is_ myth.”

“The ‘so dark it makes the wearer melt into the shadows’ is, in fact, a myth,” Percy admitted. “But the helm is, apparently, very real. It protects but, mostly, it is a symbol of power. It was forged by the most skilled metalworkers of King Kronos’ time and given to Lord Hades.”

“Hades,” Annabeth’s mouth fell open. How could she have forgotten of this foe? But of course, many forgot of Hades, the third brother, who was banished as a child to a land so distant they merely called it the Underworld. “ _He_ -”

“He thinks that we stole this item,” Percy said. “He cannot start a war with us, for he will lose. Kidnapping a nobleman _would_ have started a war. Kidnapping my mother…”

“She is halfway between worlds,” Annabeth mused, “According to tradition, not to be ignored but not to start a war. That was a clever choice for Hades. I’m assuming we did _not_ steal this helm?”

“ _We_ didn’t,” Percy said, lifting an eyebrow. Annabeth scowled. “I will be very glad to read your mother’s reply.”

“It was not us, either.”

“I believe it wasn’t you,” Percy said with a shrug. “I don’t know why I do, but I do.”

“How do you know your father didn’t steal it?” Annabeth suggested. “If the kingdoms go to war, he could fully take on the title of king because Prince Luke is not yet ready.”

Percy grimaced, “I had not thought of that.” He sat on an owl perch, mindless of the dirtiness. “There are too many players, all vying for themselves.”

“We have to get to the bottom of this,” Annabeth agreed. “We must find the real culprit before it is too late for us - and your mother. I must tell you, I have not only written to my mother. I also informed Chiron, my old tutor, of our current situation in the hopes that he could help us.”

“Chiron,” Percy nodded. “A wise man. I’ll be glad to have him here. Very glad.”

“We have to find the helm,” Annabeth said thoughtfully. “Find out who did this, and take the helm from them, then return it to Hades. It may be the only way to prevent a war.”

“I agree,” Percy said. “Annabeth, you have to keep this a secret. If everyone is out for themselves, we cannot trust a soul.”

“And you trust me?’ Annabeth asked curiously. Percy looked startled, as though he had not considered it a question.

“I- I do.”

“I trust you, as well,” Annabeth said, against her better judgement. It was the truth. She wasn’t used to handing that out. Percy smiled.

“Then it is agreed. We will find this helm together - just the two of us.”

“Yes,” Annabeth nodded, then, suddenly recognizing that they were very alone, she added “I must go. Princess Thalia is probably waiting.”

“Of course,” Percy was wearing his signature smirk again. He stood respectfully as she walked to the door. Just as she was about to exit, she turned to find him tying a letter to the leg of one of the bigger, hardier owls.

“Percy?” she asked tentatively. The sound of her voice startled her. He turned. “I’m sorry about your mother.”

Percy’s mouth relaxed into a sad smile. “Thank you.”

She left without another word.

Percy waited eagerly for Chiron to arrive, as he knew what companion the man would bring. His best friend from childhood, when he had not been allowed to play with the purely noble-blooded boys, was Grover Underwood. He had missed his friend, and knew that the two’s arrival would take his mind off his mother. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, how worried she must be.

 _I’m coming,_ he said silently to her. _I’m coming for you_.

In the meantime, he and Annabeth had tried everything he could to find the whereabouts of the helm. He had even approached King Kronos’ rooms, though the king’s special guard had declined him entrance. He outranked them, technically, but not in the minds of the palace residents. He knew that he was wandering the halls aimlessly, but he couldn’t bring himself to focus on palace duties. He had dumped a load of work on Jason and Frank, who had accepted it gracefully but also with too much pity for Percy to want to join them. The only person who hadn’t pitied him, in fact, was Annabeth Chase. He found himself craving her company. He was walking to Princess Thalia’s chambers to find her when he heard Prince Luke.

The prince was railing on a servant, berating him for dropping the fresh linens the poor boy had been carrying. Percy intervened, but not before he caught Luke’s ‘what is this kingdom becoming.’ Percy’s brows furrowed. He quietly murmured assurances to the servant when Luke couldn’t hear him anymore, but the prince’s anger had disturbed him in a way that he couldn’t shake. 

He continued on his way to the guests suits when he heard the conch shells announce visitors. His heart leapt into his throat. It must be Chiron - and Grover. He raced into his room to change into one of his more subtle uniforms, than grabbed his trusty sword, Anaklusmos, from his bedside. He was outside the palace wall before the rest of the guard had a chance to assemble, and he got a little pleasure from teasing Jason about his tardiness. Two horses, one a shimmering white and one a speckled gray, galloped up the winding path from the city. Chiron had always been more comfortable on horseback than in a carriage. Grover wasn’t, but he would never complain. However, Grover was clinging desperately to Chiron’s back, not atop the other horse. When he recognized the other figure, his heart froze.

She was not wearing the billowing dresses of the courts, which is why it had taken Percy a second to realize who she was. As the three visitors reached the palace gates, Percy and Jason stepped back to let them inside. Percy followed them up to the castle easily since the ground was now flat and they had both slowed their horses. He saw Prince Luke and Lord Poseidon waiting for them. King Zeus, Queen Hera, and Princess Thalia stood a little ways behind them and Percy could just make out Annabeth’s form from behind the greeting party. She looked just as shocked as he was.

Once they had all arrived, Chiron leapt down from his horse and assisted Grover down. He offered assistance to the other woman, as well, but she refused his hand politely, as Percy had expected she would. All of them swept inside the palace, though Lord Poseidon looked more than unhappy about it. Percy followed them in.

“We must meet and discuss the future,” Chiron said at once, with no attempt at pleasantries.

“What is _she_ doing here?” Lord Poseidon asked, his head tilted. “I was told you would not be coming.”

“I changed my mind, and it is good for you that I did. I have come solely to help, _my lord_.”

“I am sure,” Poseidon muttered. “Very well. Show them to their rooms. We will meet in the council room in an hour’s time.”  
Percy stood at attention. He relayed the order to Jason, who nodded. The party split apart, and Percy himself decided to accompany their new guest. 

“Who are you?” she addressed him now.

“Captain of Guard, and Lord Poseidon’s son,” Percy replied coolly, though his heart was beating wildly. “If you would allow, I will show you to your rooms.”

She regarded him with eyes that he thought he had known. Her eyes, though, were colder and shrewder than anyone could have possibly described to him. Finally, she consented.

Percy felt as though he had passed his first test. “Right this way, Lady Athena.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun-dun-DUNNNN... Lady Athena! I wonder what she's doing here? (no, honestly, I really do wonder I just wanted her to show up so I have to invent a reason... Athena's reasons are all her own after all). I also made it kind of obvious with the chapter title and all, but did you guess that the third character was Lady Athena? Or did the lack of names make it all a bit confusing?


	5. Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth meets an old friend and Percy goes with her to a library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very heavily Percabeth oriented. Annabeth doesn't get a whole lot of time in this chapter but it just felt natural to transition into Percy's POV really early on. Oh well, there's plenty of Annabeth content otherwise :) we love our best girl

“What is she doing here?” Annabeth demanded of Thalia the second she was back in her rooms. “How long have you known she would come? She must have set out early this morning meaning you would have known about it last _night_ at least!”

“I did know she might arrive,” Thalia admitted, “My father wrote her the second of the attack, urging her to come. She never wrote back, Annabeth. I didn’t want to tell you, in case she did not come.”

“Unfair,” Annabeth said. “It is not as though you could not have told me what you just told me. Then I would be braced, but not certain.”

“You should always be braced,” the voice from the doorway was one she knew well. Annabeth turned and found herself face to face with her mother. “But Princess Thalia, it is rather rude of you to keep my daughter in the dark. After all, how is she to become your advisor when you leave our kingdom?”

Her mother’s words stung. Thalia had not offered her that position, nor had she even mentioned it, which Lady Athena knew well. She was merely rubbing salt in the wound. But her words were always calculated, so she wanted Annabeth to feel beaten, chastised. Annabeth refused to let her mother win.

“You know of the attack the other night, then,” Annabeth said as casually as she could. “What do you make of it?”

“Nothing,” Athena replied simply. “I have not had a chance to discuss with Lord Poseidon or King Zeus. I am sure I will be able to come up with a reasonable solution by the time our meeting is over.”

Annabeth knew she would - reasonable for whom, though?

“Why are you here, mother?” Annabeth asked. It was a blunt question but, then she needed a blunt answer. She should have known better. Her mother never gave straight answers.

“Perhaps I am merely here to see my daughter,” Athena’s eyes met Annabeth’s. Annabeth knew that they had the same eyes, had been told that from birth, but she had never been able to muster up quite that look in her own that was now in her mother’s.

“No,” she said. “You are not.”

Athena’s smile was cold, “Then I am here for my king. As you know.”

“I meant specifically,” Annabeth did not back down.

“A new age is coming, my daughter,” she spoke as though Thalia were not in the room. “I am not mustering it in. I intend to know who is. I assume you want to know, also. Perhaps you have already formulated a plan.”

It was as though she had been listening to Annabeth and Percy’s conversation. Annabeth blushed. _Percy_. What would her mother think if she knew she was conspiring with her enemy’s son?

“Annabeth has done nothing of the sort,” Thalia interrupted. “We want to know who it is. That is all.”

Annabeth’s gaze dropped for a second. Her princess did not know of her plans, and couldn’t if she was to protect Percy’s reputation. But her mother caught her look of doubt, and Annabeth knew that Athena knew that she had won.

“Oh, you think that, Princess Thalia?” Athena wondered. “Very well. It is better that Annabeth does not become you advisor, I think. You would have to trust one another, and it is clear that she does not trust you. Good day, you two. I hope to see you at the meeting, if the _lord_ … or someone with his ear… will allow it.”

With that, she swept out of the room.

When Percy stumbled across Annabeth, she looked even more distraught than he felt, which was surprising considering the day he’d had. His father was already stressed about his mother being kidnapped, and now Lady Athena had appeared. He had to admit, things were not looking good for the tentative allyship the two kingdoms had.

He remembered when he was a boy and he had run the grounds, easily and freely. He wanted that again, more than anything. But the responsibility of protecting the king had settled on his shoulders and with responsibility came a loss of freedom harsher than any cage.

“Is everything alright?” he asked. She turned her face away from him, but she didn’t seem angry, merely uncomfortable at being so vulnerable in so open a space. They were in the fighting arena and, though it was not four in the morning, he had come to think of it as their space - which was strange, since he, Jason, and Frank used it together far often than the two of them.

“My mother has always been calculating,” Annabeth said slowly. “But never against me.”

Percy’s heart stopped.

“Annabeth, is she the one who orchestrated the attack?” in his horror, Percy forgot about titles. Annabeth hastily spun towards him and grabbed his arm.

“No, no!” she forced him to sit. Her grip was steely, and Percy knew instantly that she had increased the amount of training exercises he had given her. “She was trying to turn the princess against me for my friendship with you. She somehow knows of our plan.”

“Most likely because she has come to the same conclusion,” Percy guessed. Annabeth nodded, her grey eyes stormy and far away in a way that Percy had come to associate with her thinking. 

“She knows we are allies, which means we must put our plan into action,” Annabeth stood. “Come. After the meeting we will seek out Chiron and speak to him privately.”

Percy took the hand she offered and stood. She was tall, he realized. Shorter than him by only an inch or two. The way she carried herself, though, that was beyond him. It was nobility born of pure blood and not bastard blood. Though, Percy thought, as he watched her stride away, there was a sense of determination in her that didn’t belong to her noble heritage, but to the girl herself.

He shook his head. He needed to get his head cleared for this meeting, which he was sure would be full of barbed words and veiled threats.

Lady Athena and his father did not disappoint. Every sentence, every gesture was intended to wound. However, at the end of it, it was decided that a party comprised of fighters from each kingdom would search for his mother as she was the best lead on this unknown threat. Poseidon, of course, already thought the threat was sitting in this room, but it couldn’t hurt to find his wife. Percy was aching to volunteer for this team, but he knew he could never leave the king defenseless and Annabeth would murder him if he went off looking for the helm without her. Instead, he sent Frank, Hazel, and the head of their military force, Reyna. With them went Leo Valdez, the mechanic, Clarisse La Rue, presumably Athena’s second in command, and Will Solace, a healer. Percy knew Jason questioned why he wasn’t going to go, but Percy needed him her, for when he left on his side mission with Annabeth. Of course, he wasn’t to know that. The only thing that surprised him at all was the absence of Prince Luke. Usually he made it a point to attend all the meetings but, from what Percy could gather, he was indisposed.

After the meeting, he looked for Chiron for several minutes only to find that Annabeth had cornered him in the gardens. The centaur looked mildly amused which was impressive considering the fact that if Annabeth leveled that glare at anyone else they would be on their knees begging for forgiveness.

“My dear, I have no idea where the helm might be,” Chiron said patiently. Percy got the feeling it wasn’t the first time he had answered this question for her.

“Do you know where to start looking?” Percy came up behind Annabeth. She didn’t seem surprised at his sudden appearance, but Chiron did.

“Children of Athena and Poseidon working together?” he mused. “Unheard of. And yet…”

“Do you?” Annabeth demanded, then softened her voice. “Please, Chiron. The fate of both our kingdoms, and Percy’s mother, lie in this helm.”

Percy was unexpectedly touched at her adding his mother, as though it were as important to her as it was to him. He supposed that’s what it meant to be friends. That brought him up short. Is that what they were? Friends?

“If I were to look anywhere, it would be in the libraries of Delphi,” Chiron suggested. “It is a day’s journey from here. The head oracle there may be able to give you insight into your next step. Otherwise, I cannot help you.”

Percy smiled, a smile of olden times when he was a child and all he sought from life was joy, “You’ve helped us plenty. Thank you, Chiron.”

“Of course, children. You give me hope for our future, more than any marriage alliance could have. You are proof that the two kingdoms can be friends once more.”

Percy wished her could see Annabeth’s eyes. It was easier for him to read her thoughts. Instead, her hardened stance gave nothing away. She was staring at the centaur, he realized, searching him.

“I missed you,” she settled on, finally. Chiron allowed her one, small, weary smile that spoke of eons of pain and love.

“I missed you as well, child. Hopefully we will not be apart this long again.”

He bowed his head respectfully, and walked away gracefully. Annabeth turned to Percy, and he could finally see her expression. He realized with a start that there was a trace of tears in her eyes. Her look of longing was quickly replaced, though, with the look of determination that he was used to.

“The Oracle of Delphi,” she mused, raising her eyebrow at him. “How do you feel about a day trip?”

Percy, surprisingly, found it easy enough to weasel out of his duties. He merely informed Jason and his father that he was going to search for possible clues of their enemy and they agreed readily. Poseidon, especially, was delighted to have a search party behind Lady Athena’s back. Percy conveniently forgot to mention that Annabeth would be accompanying him. He didn’t know what excuses she used, but they met in the arena.

She was wearing commoner’s clothes, but they looked tailored to fit her. When he raised an eyebrow at her, she smiled. She was rather beautiful when she smiled. And when she didn’t. Oh, gods.

“My mother had a couple sets made for me, and brought them with her,” she explained. “Never let it be said she isn’t useful.”

“I don’t think anyone would dream of saying that,” Percy remarked, before hoisting his pack. “I have food and water, along with some money, but not much else. After all, it is only a day’s trip there and back.”

Annabeth nodded thoughtfully, “Let us go, then.”

The first hour on the road was uneventful. Percy rode his stallion, Blackjack, a dark horse who had been his companion for a long time. Annabeth rode beside him on Tempest, Jason’s horse. Usually Tempest was wild and barely even listened to Jason, but Annabeth treated the horse with such sternness that it couldn’t help but obey her. The two didn’t make small talk, but the silence didn’t feel awkward either. Finally, when they were passing through a small town, Ananbeth turned to look at him.

“Why do you think our parent’s hate each other so?” Annabeth asked. She wasn’t asking for a history lesson, Percy knew. She wanted a real answer. He considered it.

“My father prides loyalty above all else,” he said. “He would find you mother and your king’s defection dishonorable.”

“But she is loyal,” Annabeth protested. “Just to King Zeus, not to King Kronos.”

“That is not how he sees it,” Percy said, with a sigh. “My father’s loyalty to King Kronos is questionable at times as well. When he married my mother, a commoner, and they had me, the king urged him to toss my mother aside. He said they could still salvage my father’s reputation if only he got rid of my mother and I. But he loved - loves - my mother. And me, though it is not easy for him to admit it. He refused, and lost his chance at the throne, but it was the honorable thing to do.”

“My mother and father hate each other. And me,” Annabeth admitted. “She dumped me on his doorstep as soon as I was born, but I was sent right back to the palace. It was Princess Thalia’s intervention that saved me. She handpicked me to be her lady-in-waiting.”

Percy was silent. He could not imagine being hated by his parents. He hated to think of it.

“I’m sorry,” he said at last. “If it is any consolation, you turned out wonderfully without either of their help.”

Percy froze. He hadn’t meant to compliment her. She blushed, though, and for once had no retort. It was almost worth it. From then on, they talked of little things. Percy found himself revealing things he revealed to no one - his jealousy of Luke’s ascent to the throne, his mother’s blue cookies, his annoyance with his half brother Lord Triton who ruled over a duchy of the kingdom. Annabeth, in turn, revealed bits of herself that Percy would never have guessed. She was deadly afraid of spiders and her mother. She wanted to make a change in the world - a real, permanent one. She hated wearing dresses and learning to sow but she liked sitting by the fire and reading.

Time flew past them, the seaside disappearing into rolling green hills as they talked. The sun blared down and burned the edge of Annabeth’s nose. Percy’s and Blackjack’s black hair grew unbearably hot. They stopped in a little town to give the horses rest and get in out of the sun. 

“Excuse me,” Annabeth walked over to the counter. In her commoner clothes, she no longer resembled royalty but her walk held the same poise as ever. “Are we going the right way to visit Delphi?”

“You want the libraries?” a woman sitting on a barstool asked. Her mug held a drink that Annabeth wrinkled her nose at. Percy didn’t want to know what was in it.

“Yes, please.”

“Just keep following the main road,” the woman grinned, showing a mouth full of rotten teeth. “Ya can’t miss it.”

“Thank you…” Annabeth paused politely. Two other women joined her. They were all old and looked half blind.

“We’re the Gray Sisters,” the same woman croaked. The other two women smiled, revealing that they had, in fact, no teeth. They smacked their gums together. Percy was suddenly very glad he remained at their table. Annabeth walked back to him, and he noticed the bartender leering at her backside. As she sat, he wrapped a protective arm around her. She didn’t shy away, but she did raise an eyebrow. Percy sent a furtive glance to the bartender, and she nodded her understanding. The ate and drank quickly. When they left, Percy took a deep breath of fresh air.

“Those women were unnerving,” he pointed out, mounting Blackjack. Annabeth grinned.

“What’s unnerving about three harmless old women? Or are you scared, Seaweed Brain?”

Seaweed Brain. That was a new one. Not surprising, since they lived on the coast, but still an unfortunate parallel.

“Alright…” Percy wracked his brain, but unfortunately, all that he came up with was, “Wise Girl.”

Annabeth laughed then, and Percy felt something stir in his gut, warm and fluttery. He hid a smile. They were on a mission, for gods sakes!

They travelled for another thirty minutes until the road began to rise steeply. Percy leaned forward, but a ridge was obscuring the rest of the road from his vision. They urged the horses faster until the edge of the ridge was level with the ground they were standing on. There, behind it, stood the most magnificent building Percy had ever seen.

“Gods,” Annabeth breathed. It was easily larger than the palace, and built into the mountainside. A giant stained glass window depicting the sun’s rays was position above the giant mahogany doors. Several elephants could easily saunter inside the building, it was that massive. And the back was hidden, deep inside the mountain. Percy turned to look at Annabeth. Her eyes were shining, her hands clutching the reins tightly.

“I did not know you were entranced by architecture,” he commented. She met his gaze.

“Nor did I.”

“Let’s go, then,” he said, allowing a smirk to settle familiarly onto his lips. “Race you to the library.”

Annabeth glanced at his horse, then back at him, “You don’t stand a chance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo.... yes it is obvious he has a crush on her. HOWEVER - I think it's fairly obvious in the later books to and, since they are older, it happening more quickly isn't surprising. Besides, Annabeth literally say she had a crush on Percy since they were twelve, so this doesn't feel far-fetched to me. Also makes for some fluff ofc.


	6. The Convoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will gets attacked and Annabeth reads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to add a few more character's perspectives in order to further the plot (and also add a few more ships...:) let me know if you like it or not! not to fear - plenty of Percabeth in this chapter and beyond.

Hades’ realm, nicknamed The Underworld, was a week’s journey on horseback. Will watched his compatriots closely, not bothering to hide his unease. Clarisse, Lady Athena’s second-in-command, was nothing short of bloodthirsty. He had patched her up often enough that she grudgingly respected him, but they were nowhere near friends. Will had hardly met with Leo, since he preferred to treat his own cuts and bruises. Whenever he had seen the blacksmith, he was fidgeting with some tool or another with enough energy to drain some from him. Frank, Hazel, and Reyna were new to him, but he could already tell they would not become bosom buddies. Frank and Hazel talked quietly between themselves, and Reyna rode on her horse, Scipio, with her back ramrod straight and her gaze focused on the mountains ahead.

The first two day’s journey was uneventful, but Will found himself growing more and more withdrawn with every passing minute. The group had taken the quickest way out of Hydrius, and they were well into unfamiliar territory by now. He was usually cheerful and optimistic, but something about the way the trees closed in around them and the air grew colder that dampened his spirits considerably. It was a relief when, on the second night, they neared an open clearing and Reyna motioned for them to stop.

“The horses are tired,” she said. Her voice brooked no argument. “We will rest here for the whole night.”

“Alright, prissy,” Clarisse muttered under her breath. Will was the only one to hear it, and he ignored it. Leo, apparently, doubled as a chef because he warmed some provisions and they weren’t half bad. He kept glancing at Hazel, but Will wanted to tell him there was nothing in it. She was deeply into Frank. If there was anything Will was good at, it was reading people. He ignored the hard, lumpiness of the ground. None of the others were complaining, though they were all battle-hardened. Will was a healer, not a peasant. He fought the urge to groan.

Uncomfortable as he was, he couldn’t fall asleep. Every time he came close, he would roll over onto a hardened piece of earth. It didn’t help that his body was sore from riding on a horse for two days and had bruises all over from lying sleepless on the ground last night as well. Then, as though the gods were laughing at him, a faint drizzle started up, making him cold, wet, and uncomfortable. He turned over, curling in on himself to avoid the worst of the rain, and shut his eyes. He was close to sleep again when he heard a distant baying, like a pack of dogs. Will sat up, alarmed. 

The dogs howled again. They sounded closer. Will pushed himself off the ground and grabbed his bow from nearby. He silently reached for an arrow, pointing it towards where the dogs were. The woods were silent for a few seconds.

Then, the leader of the dogs burst out of the clearing, its mouth foaming.

“Up, everyone up!” Will shouted. The others woke groggily but, as soon as they spotted the dogs, they were out of their beds with weapons drawn. “They’re rabid.”

“Thank you for stating the obvious,” Clarisse grumbled. Will, again, ignored her.

“Circle round,” Reyna said. “Leo, try to get the campfire started. Fire should ward them off.”

“Yes, ma’am,” was Leo’s immediate response. None of them pointed out that it would be near impossible to start a fire with the rain, which was picking up. Will blinked water droplets out of his eyes, and notched his arrow. He let it fly when one dog jumped too close. It fell back with a whimper, the arrow imbedded in its shoulder. There were about ten of them, all of them wild eyes. Dogs with rabies died quickly and on their own, so they must have been a pack before all being infected. They would die soon - but not soon enough for the six of them to escape unharmed. Another dog jumped too close to him and he hit it with an arrow. They just didn’t stay down.

Time seemed to pass in a haze. The rain steadily grew stronger until it was pouring around them in sheets. Will could hardly see, but still he let arrow after arrow fly. Most of them missed their targets. Reyna stabbed at the dogs, and Clarisse slashed at their muzzles. Hazel desperately tried to defend the horses from these creatures with her cavalry sword. Frank used his javelin as a spear and stabbed the dogs, though his technique was sloppy since he was a long range fighter.

Will reached back in his quiver for an arrow and found it was empty. He glanced hastily back at Leo.

“Any progress?” he asked.

“None,” Leo reported. “The rain is too heavy. There’s no dry kindling and my stones won’t spark.”

“We’re dead,” Clarisse informed them matter-of-factly.

“Let’s get to the trees and climb them,” Reyna suggested. “We can wait out the storm, and then start a fire.”

It was as good a plan as any, but there was one glaring issue.

“We can’t leave the horses!” Hazel protested. 

“We have to,” Reyna insisted. “It’s us or them, Hazel Levesque.”

Will could see the pain in Reyna’s eyes. She loved her horse, Scipio, he was sure of it. But she was prioritizing them, as a leader should. He could see the indecision in Hazel’s eyes.

“We have to, Hazel,” Will spoke as gently as he could while simultaneously whacking a dog over the snout with a branch. Hazel choked back a sob and nodded. She and Frank paired up, stabbing wildly around them until they made it to the nearest tree. They clambered up it together.

“C’mon, scrawny,” Clarisse grabbed Leo under the armpits and actually _tossed_ him into the trees. He managed to grab onto a branch and then Clarisse barreled through the dogs towards him. Reyna defended Will with astonishing skill as they made their way to a tree. They clambered up it together, at last safe from the dogs.

Now, Will was cold, wet, uncomfortable, _and_ stuck in a tree. 

“Get some sleep,” Reyna ordered. “I notice you got none tonight or the night before.”

“I doubt I’ll be able to,” Will shook his head ruefully. “I have never actually been on a mission before. But I’m the best healer in the lands.”

“Not too modest, either,” Reyna said with a slight laugh. Will shrugged. “Then I’m going to inform you of our situation. We are most likely going to be bitten by a dog and die of rabies.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “What about your wonderful plan?”

“Honestly? The storm could last a long time, and the wood will take even longer to dry. We have no way of starting a fire in the tree without also lighting the tree on fire. We cannot afford to burn the forest down, because King Hades will see that as an act of aggression. We are stuck in a tree unless the dogs leave us and, because they are mad, I doubt they will.”

“Unless someone rescues us,” Will suggested. Reyna shook her head.

“True, but that is very unlikely.”

Two hours later, and Will was inclined to agree with Reyna. Their food had been ravaged within the first few minutes of the attack. The horses had run - hopefully far, far away. Will doubted they would see them again. The worst of the storm was over, but every so often there would be a light drizzle - enough to keep the wood around them damp. He was in even more pain than before, but he didn’t dare move in case he tumbled out of the tree.

“We have to try and find some dry wood,” Will said. “This isn’t working.”

Reyna looked thoughtful. “Do you have any other arrows?”

Will nodded to his backup quiver on the camp ground. It was covered in dog drool, but otherwise untouched. 

“I’ll get down there and throw them back up to you. Then, you can cover me from the trees,” she said. “I’ll try to get some wood.”

Will nodded, even though the plan was dangerous and destined to fail, “I wish we could communicate with the others.”

Reyna cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted their plan. While it might not have been the most sophisticated method, it certainly worked, especially since he could hear the muffled curses of Clarisse coming from the trees somewhat opposite them. Reyna drew her sword and jumped to the ground.

Immediately, the dogs were on her, braying and spitting. She slashed at them and slowly made her way towards Will’s arrows. She was a skilled fighter, but no one person could hold off ten rabid dogs at once, and, as she was bending to grab the quiver from the ground, a dog leapt at her from behind.

Before Will could even react, a javelin hit it in the heart. It fell to the ground, dead. Frank’s javelin. Good for something, after all. Reyna tossed the quiver in his direction and, luckily, her aim was excellent. Will caught it, and began shooting at the dogs instantaneously. From this vantage point, safely removed from danger, Will realized that Reyna would not have to carry out the second part of her plan. He easily aimed and shot each dog in the heart. One by one they fell until Reyna stood in the clearing, surrounded by the corpses. Will jumped down from his tree.

Hazel, Frank, Clarisse, and Leo were all already on the ground. Hazel was staring at the dead dogs with a mixture of horror and sadness.

“They were in for a long, slow, painful death,” Frank said gently to her. “Will put them out of their misery.”

“Some healer,” Hazel said, but it wasn’t spiteful, merely a joke. Will gave her a half-hearted smile. He stopped short when he noticed Reyna’s expression. He knew something was wrong. Apparently, two hours in a tree with someone allows you to read their body language fairly well.

“I was bitten,” Reyna said. Will’s lips tightened, but he knew what to do. He was, after all, a healer.

“Leo, start a fire,” he ordered. “Clarisse, do you have a small knife?”

Clarisse dug one out of her bag and handed it to him. Frank’s face went pale.

“What are you doing?” he asked nervously.

“I’m cauterizing the wound,” Will said grimly. “Reyna, this will hurt.”

Her face was set, “Do what you have to.”

It was horrible. Reyna screamed, once, but it was all over shortly. Will quickly bandaged her wound and gave her some wine to dull the pain.

“She won’t be able to walk, and the horses are gone,” Frank observed. “The dogs ate all our food. Our stuff is soaked. What are we going to do?”

“We’ll take turns carrying her,” Leo suggested. “And head back to Hydrius.”

“No,” Reyna interrupted. They all looked at her. She grimaced. “Clarisse will take me back to Hydrius. The rest of you will continue onwards. You can forage for food and go on foot. We will send supplies after you.”

“Why me?” Clarisse said. “I don’t want to retreat.”

“No, but if I am removed from the situation, the number of people form Hydrius and Exalos is uneven,” Reyna explained. “You and I hold the same position, Clarisse. Removing both of us evens the convoy again. Besides, you are most likely the only one strong enough to carry me back all the way.”

Clarisse nodded, “It makes sense. I hate it, but it does. Be careful, sunshine. You too, scrawny.”

Will jerked his head at her. She scooped Reyna into her arms and set off the way they had come. Will turned to his companions. They all looked considerably more miserable than they had before.

“Onwards?” he said, trying to infuse his voice with enthusiasm.

The others nodded, plastering smiles onto their faces. It was going to be a long journey.

The only light in the library shone from the yellow and orange stained glass sun above the door. It cast a warm light over the books. Annabeth stared in wonder around her. Inside, the library was a masterpiece. Towering bookshelves lined the walls and several little carts that could fit a person or two were hanging from the ceiling in an elaborate maze of wire and pulleys. Mahogany tables were dispersed seemingly randomly about the carpeted floor, and yellow-lighted lamps positioned on them provided a little more light. Only two or three people milled around.

“This is an underused resource,” she whispered to Percy. “Its only a day’s journey from Hydrius? And you’ve never been?”

“I didn’t even know it existed,” his voice was just as low when he replied. The door, slow to open and slow to close, shut with a soft thud behind them. Annabeth stared at all the books. Neither of them moved.

“How will we find what we need in this place?” Percy gestured around. “It’s huge!”

“We have to ask someone - an oracle,” Annabeth decided. “Chiron said they were the librarians here.”

“We are,” a girl, around Annabeth’s age, appeared behind them. She was wearing a brightly colored dress along with several gold bangles. Her bright red, curly hair was loose around her face and her eyes were sharp and bright. She was, all in all, not what Annabeth had come to think of as a librarian.

“Hello,” Annabeth said politely. “I’m Lady Annabeth Chase, and this is Captain Perseus Jackson. We are here to find information about the legendary Helm of Darkness. Can you help us?”

“I’m Rachel, the head oracle of Delphi,” Rachel introduced herself. “Come this way. I might be able to find something to aid you on your quest.”

She turned, and Annabeth and Percy followed. Annabeth silently raised her eyebrows at Percy. _Quest_? He shrugged.

“Here we have the section about mystical objects,” Rachel led them over to one of the bookshelves. There could easily have been hundreds of books on the single shelf. Annabeth stared at it in despair. Rachel, seeing her expression, laughed.

“I’m not quite done with you yet,” she said. She pulled a long rope hanging next to the bookshelf and one of the carts Annabeth had noticed on the ceiling over slowly glided towards them. It stopped on the ground next to Rachel, and she opened a small door in the side and hopped in. Percy and Annabeth followed suit a little more cautiously. There was nothing to say the cart might not break under their combined weight. The cart began to rise as Rachel pushed random buttons. The space was small, and Annabeth felt her back pressed quite firmly into Percy’s chest as she tried to give Rachel space. He smelled like the sea. She blushed.

“Here is ‘H’ section,” Rachel said. She pulled a lever in the cart and it began to drift horizontally along a shelf. “We prefer not to organize by author, but by subject matter. Not only is it easier to remember, it also makes it harder for intruders to steal the books.”

“Do they try often?” Annabeth asked. 

“Yes,” Rachel turned to them. “You are not allowed to take books out of the library, and people try often. This way, at least one oracle has seen you, and could identify you if we have to track you down.”

“Tracker librarians?” Percy whistled softly. “Who would have thought?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

“Ah, here, we have a few books on the Helm of Darkness,” Rachel stopped the cart. “Would you prefer _The Legends of Darkness_ , _The Tale of the Helm_ , or _The Helm Through History_?”

“ _The Helm Through History_ , please,” Annabeth made an executive decision. “Also, do you have a map of The Underworld? We are most interested in the area.”

Rachel didn’t comment on their interesting choice of subject matter and manipulated the cart quickly across the library to a different bookshelf entirely. Annabeth gazed over the edge of the cart. It was amazing - the architecture, the technology, the knowledge, the view. She could spend days in here. She could spend the rest of her life in here!

Thalia would hate this. She was deathly afraid of heights. At the thought of her princess, Annabeth’s heart constricted. She had to keep her safe, but she was unsure if keeping her in the dark was the right way to go about things. Then again, Thalia had also kept things from her. 

“A map of The Underworld, along with a history of the new kingdom,” Rachel produced two scrolls. Annabeth thanked her absentmindedly. She unrolled the map on their way down.

“Interesting,” she mused. “There is much uncharted territory between The Underworld and Hydrius.”

“Uncharted territory that the convoy is crossing right now,” Percy said, tight-lipped. Annabeth thought of Leo, too amusing for his own good. Clarisse could take care of herself. Will… Annabeth and Will were friends. Not close, but close enough for her to be comfortable asking him for her monthly herbs.

The cart set down at the base of the bookshelf. The three of them got out and Rachel sent it sliding back up to the ceiling. She turned to them, and her eyes no longer held their sparkle. Instead, they held premonition.

“I can see what you are seeking, and the path you take may be dangerous,” she warned. “Be careful who you trust, but you will need more allies if you are to succeed. If you fail, our kingdoms will fall.”

Annabeth’s eyes widened, “How do you know of the plot?”

“I am the Oracle,” Rachel’s voice was a little less mysterious and a little more what it had been before. “It is my job to know things.”

With that, she turned and left. Percy and Annabeth turned to each other with raised eyebrows.

“Strange,” Annabeth commented. They seated themselves at a table and unrolled the scrolls. Percy began to look over them as Annabeth flipped to the end of the book. She sorely wanted to read the whole thing, but they simply did not have time.

“Look,” she said, pointing to the final chapter. “The helm was lost during the Battle of Titan, next - the last battle in the Titanomachy.”

“King Kronos expanding his empire?” Percy scooted closer to look at the book. Annabeth could feel his hair tickling her cheek as he ducked in to read more carefully. “That battle was assured victory. I remember it - only two years ago.”

“Assured victory? How do you know?”

“King Kronos sent Prince Luke to it,” Percy said. “Something about politics - his first battle being a success. We won, of course.”

“We should ask Prince Luke about the helm!” Annabeth said excitedly. “That is our best clue.”

Percy’s brows were furrowed, “I don’t trust him.”

“Percy, he gave me this dagger to symbolize ‘family where promises are not broken,” Annabeth chided. “Besides, he is our only lead.”

Percy nodded reluctantly, “I will copy this map, and then we can be on our way.”

Annabeth glanced over at the map. Somewhere in the uncharted territory, Leo, Clarisse, and Will were making their way to an enemy kingdom and Princess Thalia was being threatened by an unknown enemy. She grit her teeth.

“Quickly,” she ordered. “We have much work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooh what do you think? I'm pretty sure you guys already have a pretty good idea of who has the helm based on the actual series, but who knows?? maybe i'll change it up. also, what did you think of will's perspective? more or less of it (who am i kidding, i'm keeping it. where else will the solangelo come from??)


	7. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico meets strangers and Percy takes on a journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! we are finally (!) meeting nico, which i've been waiting for for forever. im somewhat trashy at writing him, but hopefully i did our favorite emo boy justice. meanwhile, percy and annabeth are coming close to the truth! not much plot for them this chapter, but its going to star heating up!

Prince Nico trudged through the dark forest, ignoring the howling of hellhounds in the distance. He wished Mrs. ‘O Leary were with him, despite her ridiculous name and her tendency to lick everything in sight. She was the last connection he had to Bianca, after all. He pushed thoughts of his sister away and focused on the dim lights of the castle ahead.

His father’s castle was what someone would expect of an evil villains castle - dark, derelict, huge, abandoned, but that was mostly because they didn’t have the resources to fix it. All there was for miles around were trees - and more trees. The small amount of stone they had found were quickly forged into weapons because Hades was sure that someone, someday, would attack them. He had been getting more and more paranoid, ever since Bianca’s death, which he swore was a murder at the hands of his vindictive brothers. The final straw were the rabid dogs all over the woods.

Nico was inclined to agree that this wasn’t natural. Their wild animals were wild, but not vicious. Besides, whole packs of dogs didn’t just get infected. As he had no idea what was causing this, he had had to leave Mrs. ‘O Leary at home. He couldn’t risk her getting infected.

He was almost to the castle when he caught sight of another light. It was brighter than the castle lights solely because of the proximity, but he snuck up on it carefully all the same. Around a small campfire were four people, three guys and a girl. One was large and bulky with the face of a baby and close cut black hair. Another was wiry, curly-haired and fidgeting with something in his hands. The girl was dark-skinned and had golden eyes that stared calmly into the fire. The last boy was… well, he was gorgeous. He had shining, golden hair and tanned skin along with sparkling blue eyes. He was the picture perfect model of every fairytale hero, albeit his muscles were normally proportioned and he looked as though he smiled a lot.

Nico stepped out into the clearing cautiously. Here, he was considered a prince - Hades had claimed the title of king over the other banished people by dueling anyone who challenged him. These people weren’t people of the town, though. They didn’t have the downtrodden look of hard work everyday and, besides, the townspeople knew to stay away from the woods right now. They most likely wouldn’t respect him and, if Hades’ brothers _were_ planning to kill him, they could be the assassins.

“Greetings,” he said quietly. The fidgety boy nearly jumped out of his skin. The others looked just as startled. Nico had that affect on people. He seemed to melt into the shadow whenever he wasn’t in direct light. 

“Who are you?” the beautiful boy asked curiously. Nico met his gaze.

“That would be a more appropriate question to ask you, considering you are traipsing around on my lands,” Nico said with his arms folded. “However, I am Nico di Angelo, son of King Hades.”

“Will Solace,” Will stood and offered his hand. Nico shook it. It was warm and rough. “We are a convoy sent from Hydrius and Exalos to meet with King Hades.”

“You are a small, undernourished convoy,” Nico noted. They had no horses, no supplies, and looked as though they hadn’t bathed in days. All of them were straggly and weary looking.

“Our second night we were attacked by rabid dogs,” the burly boy stood. “I’m Frank Zhang, third in command in our Royal Guard.”

“The hellhounds attacked _you_?” Nico wondered aloud. Zeus and Poseidon could not possibly set diseased animals on their own convoy unless they were more ruthless than Nico knew.

“Yes,” the girl now spoke up, still seated. “They ate all our food and scared off our horses. One of our members was injured and one escorted her home. They said they would send supplies after us but, so far, none have reached us.”

“I am sorry for your hardships,” Nico said stiffly. “I will take you to the castle, but if you want an audience with King Hades you may have to wait a few days. You sent ahead no message.”

“Yes, we did,” Frank said, his brow furrowed. “Iris took our fastest horse.”

“Second fastest,” the girl reminded him, with a smile of pride. “Arion is the fastest.”

“Of course, Hazel,” Frank said gently. Nico remembered that the Hazel said the horses had been scared away. They had probably been bitten later and were now dead.

“Mostly likely, Iris was attacked and was not as lucky as we were,” Will said. “We are sorry for arriving unannounced, but we did not know these woods were so treacherous that we should send an armed guard.”

“They were not always,” Nico said vaguely. “Come, I’ll guide you to the castle. The hellhounds do not come near Stygian Iron.”

He drew his sword. The wiry kid perked up.

“I’ve never seen Stygian Iron before.”

“It is native to these parts,” Nico explained as Frank extinguished the fire. They picked up the few things they had, then began to walk as Nico continued talking to Leo. “Still very rare. The hellhounds have learned to fear it since all we make out of it are weapons.”

“Why do you call them hellhounds?” Will appeared on Nico’s other side. 

“Because they are vicious, especially in packs,” Nico said. “Some people say they only attack people who are overdue to go to hell, which is why they are so violent. Those are old legends. They can be domesticated.”

“You have a domesticated hellhound?” Will asked, surprised.

“It helps that she is not rabid,” Nico said with the ghost of a smile. “Why are you coming to The Underworld? No one from your kingdom has ventured here since my father was banished.”

“Perhaps it has something to do with you kidnapping one of our own,” Frank said bluntly. Nico blinked twice. _Kidnapped_?

“That is blatantly untrue,” Nico said. “We have kidnapped no one.”

“Then explain the ransom note demanding we return the Helm of Darkness,” Frank demanded. “You hurt a close friend of mind and transparent lies are not the way to win the favor of Hydrius.”

“Or Exalos,” Leo added, but he was still staring at Nico’s sword.

“We sent no ransom note,” Nico said, with his brows furrowed. “We have searched for the Helm of Darkness for the past two years, but no one is supposed to know it is missing. Especially not our people.”

He became suddenly aware that he was discussing politics in an informal setting with possible assassins and no father to advise him.

“We will discuss this further with my father,” he said hastily. “I am sure he will be very interested in what you have to say, if not pleased by it.”

Will, on his other side, frowned, “If what you say is true, then who _did_ kidnap her?”

Nico scowled, “I said we will discuss this _later_.”

With that, the conversation ceased. The five of them hiked their way to Hades’ gloomy castle in silence.

Percy and Annabeth rode hard and silently back to the castle. They arrived well under the time it had taken them to get there, but it was still nightfall when they reached the palace gates. Jason let them in with only an eyebrow raise at Annabeth’s presence, but Percy could see the silent question in his eyes. He shook his head. _Not now_. 

“We need to talk to Prince Luke,” Annabeth said urgently. 

“It’s not that easy,” Percy shook his head. “I don’t have his ear and I am his personal guard.”

“I know someone who does,” Annabeth said mysteriously. Percy pouted at her with his best please-tell-me-face. She laughed. “Not a look I ever thought I’d see on the Captain of the Guard’s face.”

He kept staring at her.

“Fine,” she relented. “Princess Thalia. They’re getting close - thankfully, since that encourages their marriage.”

“Fair enough,” Percy said. “I need to get back to my duties, so we can meet up tomorrow morning and you can tell me about the progress you have made.”

Annabeth nodded once in agreement, then they parted ways.

Percy spent the rest of the day at Prince Luke’s side. It was infuriating to be this close to him yet unable to have a private word. He was mostly in meetings detailing the convoy’s mission. Since he hadn’t been at the previous meeting, he looked furious that a decision had been made without him, but the adults paid him little attention. About halfway through the day, one of the lookouts arrived, breathless, to the throne room. Luke lounged lazily on the throne, while Poseidon stood respectfully to the side. It was Poseidon, however, whom the lookout approached.

“Captains Reyna and Clarisse have returned from the convoy,” he announced. “They carry nothing with them and travel on foot. They are only two.”

“Open the gates,” Poseidon ordered. “Percy, go down to meet them. Find out what happened, then report back to me.”

“Report back to _me_ ,” Luke’s expression was a twisted look of fury Percy had never seen before.

“We will both be here,” Poseidon amended quickly. Percy nodded once and ran down to the gates. He was wearing a simple tunic, luckily, or else the journey down the steep hill would have been brutal. He met the two at the bottom of the hill and took Reyna from Clarisse, who was obviously tired.

“What happened?” he asked, as Reyna leaned against his side, limping up the hill.

“We got attacked by rabid dogs,” Clarisse explained. “Reyna was bitten. I don’t think she has the disease since it would have set in by now, but they scared off her horses and there is no way she could have continued on foot. I carried her most of the way here.”

“We’ll get a healer to check you out,” Percy promised her. She grunted.

“Will cauterized the wound,” Clarisse interjected quickly. “And it’s not infected. I checked several times. She needs rest. In the meantime, we should send supplies after the others. We lost most of ours in the attack.”

“I’ll ask my father and Prince Luke to do so,” Percy agree. He lost track of time as they made agonizingly slow progress up the hill. Finally, they reached the castle gates and, after that, it was only a few more minutes before they reached the castle itself. By then, the lookouts had seen that Reyna was injured and there were healers on site waiting to take her away and look over her. She submitted without a lot of grumbling, which suggested to Percy that she was in pain. Normally she was very stoic.

He and Clarisse reported to the throne room. Once there, he found King Zeus and Lady Athena had somehow arrived. They all waited tensely. Clarisse relayed the events to them, and provisions were made to send after the group.

“I will go with the support party,” Percy announced, somewhat rashly. 

“Your duty is to Prince Luke,” Poseidon countered at once.

“I can assign Sir Jason to Prince Luke for a few days,” Percy said. “This is an immediate threat to both my prince and to my mother. I wish to eradicate the threat as directly as possible.”

Lord Poseidon thought it over, then turned to the Crown Prince, “It is up to you, Prince Luke. Can you spare him?”

Luke waved a dismissive hand, which stung but, since it was what Percy wanted, he said nothing.

“Then I will send my daughter as well,” Lady Athena spoke up for the first time. Percy was taken aback. “She will be in no danger with this big, strong man to protect her,” she said with a glint of humor in her eyes. “Are there any objections?”

“Don’t you think the girl in question should be here to make an objection?” Percy said. He regretted it instantly, since Athena turned her calculating gaze on him. She smirked.

“She will want to go but, by all means, ask her,” she said. Percy pursed his lips but did not argue further. She was right, after all. Annabeth _would_ want to go. 

“Then it is decided,” Poseidon declared, “Percy and Lady Annabeth will travel with supplies to The Underworld in order to meet up with the convoy.”

“How do we make sure that they are not attacked as the former convoy was?” King Zeus said. “My daughter will be very upset to lose her closest companion.”

“We will set up checkpoints,” Athena said. “Captain Perseus, you and Annabeth will take the long route to the Underworld, not through the woods as that appears to be too dangerous. You will stop at towns along the way and send back an eagle-message.”

“You may take my eagle,” King Zeus offered magnanimously. “Lightning is the fastest bird in all the kingdoms. He will be able to return from you first checkpoint within a day.”

They plotted out a course on the map, adding little dots on the towns from which they would send a message. Lady Athena outlined a timetable. They would reach The Underworld in a fortnight. It was slow, but it was safe. Percy bit his tongue and didn’t argue.

Percy found Annabeth in Princess Thalia’s suite. The princess in question was out of the room.

“She’s finding Luke to ask him about the helm,” Annabeth explained. “But you said you would find me tomorrow. What has happened?”

Percy told her about the journey. Instead of looking angry or overjoyed, which were the two reactions Percy had expected, she looked thoughtful. 

“I wonder why my mother wants us to go together,” she mused. “By all accounts, she should hate you.”

“Perhaps she does and is hoping you will weasel information out of me,” Percy grinned.

“By now you should know my mother and I do not work together,” Annabeth reluctantly returned the smile. “This is good, though. We shall get new leads on the helm. We might even be able to find your mother.”

Percy’s stomach sank. He had forgotten about his mother for the whole day. On his trip with Annabeth, all he thought about was her. Now the guilt - combined with the returned anxiety - threatened to overwhelm him. He sat heavily on the couch. Annabeth came over to him and sat by him, placing a hand gently on his arm.

“We’ll find her,” she promised and he, gods help him, believed her. 

They sat together for an hour at the least. She read a book and he bombarded her with random questions that she met with the amount of exasperation and laughter that the question required. He managed to calm his worry for just a few more hours. That night, he pushed down all thoughts of his mother, alone and scared. Tomorrow, he was setting out to look for her. She would be alright. She had to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keep in mind that the timelines of the two stories do not match up at all. when will and co reach the castle, its been about a week's journey. in percabeth's time, its been two(ish) days, since that's how long it would take reyna and clarisse to reach them travelling back. the timelines will converge two chapters from now, don't worry. for now, it doesn't matter all that much since there is no communication between the two groups. hope you enjoyed and if that confuses you just let me know which part :)


	8. Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth sets out with Percy on a journey and Hazel finds a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm exploring Hazel's POV in this chapter. It just sort of happened, and her part is kind of exposition, but I like the way it turned out. More solangelo in a couple chapters. Things actually start happening for Percabeth here (hence the chapter title name) and I have things for them planned. That being said, this isn't going to be as dangerous as an actual half-bloods quest so its kind of anti-climatic in that sense. After all, what could top Monster Donuts? :)

Annabeth awoke bright and early the next morning. She was used to waking up at four now, since she and Percy had been practicing almost every morning since their first, no matter his protests of being busy. She could see the muscle definition in her arms and legs now, and the workouts didn’t hurt quite so much.

She threw on her sword fighting clothes and they met up for another early lesson. It was brutal, as always, but she could feel herself improving. Afterwards, they sat on the ground, greedily gulping water.

“Thalia said that Luke didn’t know where the helm was,” Annabeth said after she had recovered her breath. “But he asked her to tell us to meet him around six, before we leave. He wants to say something to us.”

Percy frowned, “I wonder what.”

“We’ll find out,” Annabeth stood up and offered him her hand. He took it and jumped off the ground. “I’m going to change into riding clothes. We can meet outside Prince Luke’s suites in an hour.”

Percy nodded briskly and they parted ways. Annabeth changed quickly and, when they met up, found that Percy had changed into a simple sea green outfit that matched his eyes. Annabeth’s heart skipped a few beats, but she took a deep breath to steady herself. 

Prince Luke himself opened the door. They were allowed to sit in his waiting room. He offered them a variety of drinks before getting to the point. Annabeth thought it was charming, but a bit frustrating. She couldn’t imagine how Percy felt - every second wasted was a chance that his mother could be killed.

“There is a shortcut through the mountains,” he said quietly. “I only know of it because… well, the Crown Prince is not allowed out of the castle very often. When I wanted to feel free, I took this route.”

He traced out a line on the map unrolled on the table before them. 

“You can meet up with the checkpoints here,” he drew a little x. “And no one will ever know how you got there so quickly.”

“Thank you,” Annabeth said gratefully. “Every bit of information helps.”

She noticed that Percy said nothing. Apparently, Luke noticed as well. He patted his captain on the shoulder.

“I have something for you.”

Percy’s eyebrows shot up, but luckily the prince’s back was turned and he didn’t notice his subordinate’s shocked expression. When Luke turned back to face them, he was clutching a satchel.

“This holds a helm, similar to the Helm of Darkness,” Luke explained. “There is a slim chance King Hades will take this in return for your mother.”

“Unlikely, but possible,” Annabeth said, once it was clear that Percy was not about to respond. “Thank you so much, Prince Luke.”

He was staring at Percy - probably due to his rudeness - but nodded absentmindedly at her. The two of them left the room quickly.

“Why did you not thank him?” Annabeth demanded as soon as they were out of earshot. “That was very impolite of you.”

“Thank you, _mother_ ,” Percy folded his arms. “The prince has never been grateful or helpful in the least. I cannot help but think these gifts come with a price.”

“He gave them to us for free!” Annabeth protested. Percy looked at her sternly.

“What has gotten in to you?” he asked. “Normally you distrust anyone. Now, you are willing to accept that Prince Luke is helping us with no fee?”

“I want him to be a good person for Princess Thalia’s sake,” Annabeth admitted. “I would hate her to marry a schemer.”

“ _You_ are a schemer,” Percy pointed out, but his natural good humor had returned. “Very well, Lady Annabeth, we shall proceed on the Crown Prince’s route accompanied by his trusty satchel.”

“You are ridiculous,” Annabeth rolled her eyes, but laughed all the same. He gave her the lopsided, mischevious grin that she had come to associate with him. Her heart skipped several more beats than it had before. 

Two hours later, Lord Poseidon and Lady Athena had sent them on their way. They quickly went off the road onto Luke’s path. It was not well-worn, but it was visible nonetheless. The two of them talked easily. Annabeth did not know how or when it had happened, but she had shared the deepest, darkest parts of her life with the boy next to her and now conversation flowed easily. He joked with her and discussed with her and treated her like an equal. No one did that. Princess Thalia, her mother, and the members of the court had always had a higher rank than she and, while she was friends with the princess, she was reminded of that every day nonetheless. Piper, Leo, and the like were beneath her in rank which meant that she could be friends with them, of course, but she had to maintain some sort of a boundary. She had never imagined a future with any of them. Now… but no. He was the son of her mother’s rival. He could never think of her that way, and neither could she. It did not help matters at all that he was absolutely gorgeous with his wind-blown dark hair and his perfect sea green eyes and -

 _No, Annabeth_ , she scolded herself. She couldn’t quite bring herself to cut off from this closeness, though. He could, at the very least, remain a friend.

To take her mind off the issue of her feelings developing, she observed her surroundings. All at once, she pulled Tempest to a stop. He whinnied and protested, but eventually halted. Percy stopped easily - Blackjack listened to his every touch with total obedience - and looked confused at her. 

“These woods…” Annabeth considered them, frowning. “They are the woods that Lord Poseidon and my mother warned us against. The path Prince Luke drew did not lead out through these woods.”

“We are well before the first checkpoint, though,” Percy said. He had pulled out the map and was studying it when Annabeth felt a chill rush up her spine.

“ _Percy_ ,” she hissed, and reached out to grab him. It was too late. A dart hit his neck. He slumped forward. Annabeth dismounted and began to run for the cover of the trees, but she only made it two steps before she felt something hit her. Her vision darkened, and she knew she had milliseconds left. She grabbed a bit of her own hair and ripped it from her head. The pain cleared her head and gave her another few seconds. She grabbed out at Lightning’s - King Zeus’ eagle - cage. Freeing him from his confines, she gave him the piece of hair.

Black splotches appeared in her vision as her legs gave out. She could only hope the bird was delivering her message as darkness overwhelmed her.

Hazel found her room to be chilly and somber, but better than sleeping on the ground any day. She fell on the bed and fell asleep within seconds. When she awoke, she felt much better and quickly showered and changed. She ducked out of her room and went to Frank’s. He was the only person she felt comfortable talking to on this whole journey - and honestly in the whole castle.

Hazel wasn’t royalty by any stretch of the imagination. She had no idea who her true mother was. She had a vague memory of warm brown eyes and the smell of flowers, but all she truly knew was that, at the age of one and a half, she had been left on Marie Levesque’s doorstep. Marie had raised her as her own. While Marie had always leaned towards selling mystical prophecies to strangers, Hazel had preferred to spend her time outdoors and with horses, the only animals that didn’t hate her. She sometimes wondered if she had inherited that from her true mother. She would, of course, never know. 

When Hazel was thirteen, an untamable horse named Arion had run away from the castle. Hazel had found him, befriended him, and brought him back to the castle. When they had seen how good she was with animals, they gave her a small position in their stables. Over three years she had officially risen in rank until she had become the Stable Master. She was younger, though, than all other members of her station. Frank knew what it was like to be an outsider. He only got his position in the elite guard because his father had been a hardened veteran before his untimely death. It was a pity position. 

Frank had told Hazel that he had been clumsy, uncoordinated, and laughed at. Before being friends with Percy and Jason, he was alone. He still felt alone, sometimes, in their presence. The boys were friends through circumstance, not personality. Frank told Hazel that he felt like she was the only person he could talk to. Hazel, luckily, felt the same way.

He opened his door to her when she knocked and beckoned her inside.

“King Hades granted us an audience in ten minutes,” he said, hurriedly brushing his hair. Their clothes were tattered, but it was the only outfit they had. 

“He wants to intimidate us,” Hazel said, pushing her own hair down as much as she could. The curls refused to lie flat, but that was the way she liked it anyway.

“It’s working,” Frank grumbled. “We have to pick up Leo and Will on the way.”

Hazel was aware that Frank was their prime negotiator and was unreasonably glad. She would have felt terrified - she _did_ feel terrified - once they entered the throne room. It was dark and cold, and King Hades sat at the end, leering at them. He was handsome enough, with cold, sharp features contrasted with his dark hair. He almost looked like Nico, although Nico’s skin was warmer. He must have inherited some of it from his mother, who was sitting next to Hades and -

Hazel stared. Queen Persephone, Hades’ wife, looked exactly like Hazel. She had the same nose shape, the same eyes, the same lips. They could have been carbon copies. Frank noticed it a second after Hazel did. He didn’t freeze as she did, just frowned. Then he moved on, just like a real negotiator would. She envied his calm.

“King Hades,” Frank said, bowing deeply. “I am Sir Frank Zhang, of the Prince’s Guard,” he introduced the others as well. He added ‘Lady’ to Hazel’s name even though she wasn’t technically a lady. The king was not to know that. “We are here to ask that you return Sally Jackson to us.”

Hades tilted his head thoughtfully, “My son informed me of your troubling tale. He said that you claim to have received a ransom note from our kingdom. I assure you, we have sent no note.”

“That is troubling indeed,” Frank agreed. Only Hazel could tell how nervous he was. He only fingered his belt like that when he was anxious. “Your son informed _us_ that no one is supposed to know the helm is missing. Who do you propose sent the note if no one knows the helm is even gone?”

“Perhaps there is no note and you have invented this as an excuse to declare war,” Hades said, more bluntly than Hazel expected. Her mind was only half in the negotiations. She was staring at Persephone, who was engaged with something on her lap. She had not looked up once.

“Or perhaps there is no helm and _you_ have invented this as an excuse to declare war,” Frank countered. Hades laughed coldly.

“Even I know I cannot take on the might of Hydrius, much less Hydrius and Exalos together,” he said. “No, I believe you are telling the truth simply because you are here. Technically, you could simply declare war, or return the helm. No, whoever took the helm wants to see our kingdoms set against each other.”

“Then who took it?” Frank wondered. “Do you have any thoughts?”

“None, or I would have reclaimed it by now,” Hades said, seemingly amused. “Now-”

He was cut off by a sharp gasp. Persephone had finally looked up at the group, and she was staring at Hazel. Her eyes were filled with tears. Hades turned to her, his expression softening into something Hazel would not have thought possible.

“Is everything alright, my dear?”

“What… what is your name?” Persephone’s voice was high, but firm.

“Hazel Levesque, your majesty,” Hazel curtsied. “I-”

“ _Hazel_?” Persephone exclaimed. “You… you are my daughter.”

Time seemed to stop. Of course, the possibility had occurred to Hazel, but she never seriously entertained it. She had given up hope of finding her mother so long ago… 

“Are you sure?” she asked, her hands tightening.

“I left you on Marie Levesque’s doorstep,” Persephone blinked back her tears. “When I was exiled.”

Suddenly, Hazel felt an uncharacteristic rush of anger, “Why did you leave me?”

“I did not know where I was going, or if there was any life in my banishment,” Persephone explained hastily. “I could not take so small a child into so precarious a future. It was the hardest choice I had to make, but I thought I was leaving you with a good woman who could be your true mother without you having to worry about danger every second of the day. I became Queen of the Exiles, but I was not to know that. Every day I have wanted to see you again, but one cannot return to Hydrius once exiled.”

Hazel’s anger disappeared in a rush. It was true. There was no life in exile, and she _had_ had a happy childhood.

“Why were you exiled?” she asked curiously.

“I had… relations with a man before marriage,” Persephone and Hades studiously avoided looking at each other. He didn’t seem upset, which was unusually kind. Perhaps Hazel had judged him too harshly. It must be hard, to be exiled from your family. No wonder he was so angry looking all the time. “Once I found I was pregnant with you, I came to him. He cast me away, and I knew better than to seek more from him. Your mother took care of me and you for a year and a half, pretending you were her daughter and I was her niece, but a local girl found out the truth. She confronted your father, Alcyoneus, who lied and said I had raped him. I was cast out.”

“That’s horrible,” Will said. He and Leo had been so quiet Hazel had forgotten they were there.

“Ah, well,” Hades said awkwardly. “Since you all are here, you may rest and replenish yourselves. We will provide new clothing for you of course. And my wife and her daughter must want time to speak together. We can reconvene this meeting in an hour’s time.”

Frank nodded his agreement, and the other three left the throne room. Persephone beckoned Hazel to follow her. She led her into a small garden. It was the only place in the castle Hazel had seen that was not dark or depressing. It was well tended and beautiful, with small flowers decorating the sunny room.

“This is my favorite place,” Persephone said shyly. 

“I love it,” Hazel said with wonder.

“Hazel, my action are inexcusable. You must hate me,” Persephone began. “But, please, allow me to get to know you. Leaving you was - is - my biggest regret.”

“I do not hate you,” Hazel said. “You gave me a good life when you thought you were going to lead a horrible one. I…” she took a deep breath. “I want to get to know you, too.”

Persephone’s face brightened. They spent the next half hour talking about nature and horses, castle politics, and menstrual cycles. Hazel found that, more than loving her mother, she _liked_ her. It was a feeling she enjoyed. No one would ever replace Marie as her mother, but Persephone would be a welcome addition to the family. They were just starting to talk about Frank when the boy in question appeared, out of breath.

“Queen Persephone, I have been sent by King Hades,” he said, gasping. “It’s Prince Nico. He has been wounded by the rabid dogs.”

Hazel, Persephone, and Frank ran to the castle’s infirmary, which was a little brighter than the rest of the castle but not much. Will and another healer were already tending to him.

“Is he infected?” Persephone rushed to his side. “Nico? Nico, darling?”

“He is unconscious,” Will explained. “He hit his head on a rock when the dog bowled him over. We have cauterized the wound, but it is a waiting game. He may or may not be infected.”  
“How do you know all this?” Persephone demanded, turning to the blonde healer. Hazel felt a rush of protectiveness. Nico was her half brother. She had just found him - he would _not_ die on her. She went and stood beside him, half listening to Will and half studying Nico’s features.

“I was exploring the castle and he was following me,” Will said.

“Why?” Frank asked.

“He most likely thought I was snooping around,” Will shrugged. The gesture would normally have been out of place in front of the queen, but they were all too worried to stand on ceremony. “I wandered into the grounds - too far - and a dog leapt out at me from out of nowhere. He jumped in front of me.”

“Brave,” King Hades swept into the room. “I have not often known my son to be noble.”

“He is not often given the chance,” Persephone said gently. “Ever since-”

She seemed to remember that there were other people in the room and cut herself off, “We must pray to the gods he gets better. I cannot… if he...” she stifled a sob, and reached for Hazel’s hand. Hazel took it. It was so cruel, to gain a child and lose another. _I cannot afford to think like that_ , Hazel chided herself, _Nico is not dead yet_. And he would not be. Will was known to be the best healer in all the lands. Nico would not die in his watch. Hazel sank into a chair next to him. As Will had said, it was a waiting game now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so hazel and nico ARE half siblings! I can't rlly make it work with the other siblings (thalia and jason, frank and clarisse, etc) but I thought it would be nice to have these two as siblings. i always liked their supportive relationship in the book. also i almost don't ship frazel (and jiper) so i only put mentions of the two ships in here. nothing against them, it just felt kind of forced to me. anyway, this is a percabeth fic. the only other real ship i have in here is solangelo.


	9. Prince Luke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason investigates and Annabeth uses her kick-ass moves (finally)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another perspective.... well, i have to show you what's going on inside the castle somehow. honestly, i never really liked jason, but he's best positioned to tell this chapter. and we get some (not a lot) of grover action since i felt bad that he had been kinda left out of the story thus far. things are HAPPENING now and i am PUMPED. this was one of my favorite chapters to write so hopefully you like it as much as i did :)

Jason was the first to spot the eagle. He had been keeping an eye out because he was worried about Percy. Lady Annabeth was lovely, but he doubted she could hold her own in a fight unless she had suddenly gotten fighting lessons since she had arrived in Hydrius. When it neared, his heart almost stopped.

All Lightning was carrying was a chunk of blonde hair. He hurried into the throne room and found Lord Poseidon and Lady Athena in a tense discussion. Oddly enough, they didn’t appear to be fighting for the first time since Lady Athena had arrived. They both waited expectantly for him to come closer, but all he did was hold up the chunk of hair. Lady Athena’s face paled.

“That is my daughter’s hair,” she said. It was an absurdly obvious statement for one as smart as Lady Athena to make. For the first time, Jason wondered if she was worried about her.

“Lightning brought it back,” Jason said, “I think they are in trouble and we should send a search party after them.”

“Our people are disappearing, one after the other,” Poseidon said grimly. “All of them traveling to my brother’s realm. It does not bode well for his case.”

“Sir Jason, will you lead the search for them?” Athena requested. Jason turned to Poseidon for permission - he nodded absentmindedly.

“I will follow their trail by myself,” Jason said. “We cannot afford to lose another member of the castle. Do you mind if I take Grover Underwood with me?”

“Chiron’s apprentice?” Poseidon frowned. “Why?”

“He is a close friend of Perc- Captain Perseus,” Jason said, “And he is the best tracker in the land. Without a doubt, if anyone can find the two of them, it is him.”

“Take him,” Lady Athena ordered. Her hands were clutched into the fabric of her dress. “Take him and go.”

Jason obeyed. He found Grover wandering the gardens with one of Sally Jackson’s handmaidens, Juniper. When he was appraised of the situation, he didn’t hesitate before joining him. The two were riding out before the hour was up. Jason wished this horse was Tempest. His horse was bad-natured, but they understood each other. He felt like he was missing a limb. They followed the set path for about half an hour before Grover stopped him.

“They veered off course,” Grover pointed at two sets of horse prints. Luckily, not many took this road since it led from the castle and it had not rained. This was most certainly Percy and Annabeth’s trail.

“Let us follow where they lead,” Jason urged his horse down the new trail.

“Why would they go this way?” Grover wondered. “It cuts through the trees, the exact path Lord Poseidon and Lady Athena warned them not to take.”

“Perhaps they did not know it went through the woods,” Jason said, “It is possible they accidentally went off course.”

“Not likely,” Grover disagreed. “Not Percy.”

Privately, Jason was inclined to agree with him. Percy was good at directions and paying attention when he needed to. Still, he was technically the outranking officer on this mission, so he could not afford to let emotions get in the way of his ‘troop’s’ tasks. They followed the new trail for another hour or so before the tracks suddenly galloped into the woods. Some of the supplies were scattered on the path.

“It looks like the horses were spooked and ran,” Jason said. “Which is not uncommon for Tempest, but Percy always managed to calm Blackjack down with ease.”

“Unless Percy wasn’t _on_ Blackjack,” Grover puzzled.

“You think they were abducted?” Jason shuddered. “Let’s see if we can find the horses. Tempest _should_ come to me.” 

They determined to go into the woods, but stick together. They could cover more ground separately, but the woods were too dangerous to split up. They urged the horses into the trees, Jason calling for Tempest. There were no footprints here, since the forest floor was covered with leaves and the traces of wildlife. Grover pointed out the occasional horse droppings, and they followed them until-

“There,” Jason said quietly. He pointed from behind a bush to a small stream, where Tempest and Blackjack were grazing. He dismounted without a sound, then started calling Tempest’s name again. The horse’s ears perked up, and he look to where Jason was. He emerged from behind the bush. Tempest whinnied happily and trotted over to him, which was surprising. The horse must have been very scared - usually he was too disdainful to appreciate Jason’s presence. Blackjack followed a little more warily, but he recognized Grover and relaxed.

“All their stuff is on here, except for Lightning’s cage,” Jason said. “This is not looking good.”

“We must return to the castle,” Grover said. “We should show Lady Athena and Lord Poseidon what we have found.”

Jason wanted to keep looking, but he knew that Grover was right. Percy and Annabeth were gone - whether they had been taken or not. Otherwise, Blackjack would never have agreed to leave Percy behind. The two boys plus the four horses - Jason this time seated comfortable on Tempest’s back - rode back to the castle, defeated.

They brought their findings to Lady Athena, Lord Poseidon, King Zeus, and Prince Luke. All four of them looked troubled by the news.

“We should search their supplies and see if there are any clues,” Luke suggested. It was a feeble hope, but the search commenced. Jason found nothing among Lady Annabeth’s things, but Grover held up an unfamiliar satchel among Percy’s belongings. They brought it to the throne room. Lord Poseidon took it almost reverently.

“What is inside?” he asked.

“We waited to open it,” Jason admitted. 

“Very good,” Poseidon cast him an approving glance, then dumped the contents on the table. Simultaneously, King Zeus, Lady Athena, and Lord Poseidon’s mouths fell open.

“What is it?” Prince Luke strode to the table. “A helmet. Wonderful.”

“That is the Helm of Darkness,” Lady Athena recovered first. “Perseus had it all along?”

“If he did, I had no idea of its existence,” Poseidon traced the edge of the helm with his finger. Jason waited for Lady Athena to begin accusing him of deception, but she did no such thing. In fact, she seemed reluctant to analyze the meaning. Zeus, on the other hand, had no such qualms.

“This points to double-crossing,” he thundered. “Poseidon, what have you to say for your son?”

“Lord Poseidon had no knowledge of this,” Prince Luke protested. “He would have shared it with me.”

“Unless he wanted to undermine your authority to become king himself,” Zeus countered. “Well? Poseidon?”

“I have no idea how this came to be in his possession,” Poseidon said again. “But it seems that our priority remains the same, if for different reasons. Find the two of them.”

“A betrayal from your son I can imagine,” Zeus grumbled. “But _your_ daughter, Lady Athena?”

“It is no use squabbling over claims which have no basis,” Lady Athena said sharply. “We must find them.”

“Yes, and the second we do we will throw them in dungeons,” Zeus’ jaw clenched. “As we do with any traitors. Unless you have any objections, brother?”

It was a test of his loyalty, Jason realized. He did not envy Lord Poseidon in this moment. The acting king nodded, but his eyes were lowered. He had lost both a son and a wife in recent days. He must be feeling the strain immensely. Jason’s jaw tightened, but he did not question their authority. He would be demoted, and he couldn’t help his friend that way.

“Sir Jason, would you mind informing Princess Thalia of our current situation?” Lady Athena addressed him. “She has been most worried about Annabeth.”

“Of course, my lady,” Jason bowed his head and left the room. 

He found Lady Piper and Princess Thalia sitting in their rooms, wringing their hands. Piper leapt up when she saw him.

“Well? What news?” she asked.

“We found the Helm of Darkness among Percy’s belongings,” Jason said wearily. “Both have temporarily been declared traitors.”

Piper sat heavily on the couch. Thalia looked stunned. Jason didn’t know what to do, except to stand in the doorway looking like an utter fool. Luckily, he was saved by the unlikely appearance of Lady Athena behind him.

“Good, you are all here,” she brushed past Jason and closed the door behind him. “I believe - and I think you do as well - that Annabeth is no traitor. By extension, I believe Perseus is not either. They were, I think, set up.”

Jason was fully listening now.

“I can do nothing about this,” she said. Her voice held a note of frustration. “I will be accused of seeking power if I try to help them. You all _must_ discover who placed the helm among their things. I cannot stay long, but please tell me you will help.”

This was so unlike the Lady Athena Jason had come to know in meetings. Usually she was ruthless and cunning. Now, she was worried for her daughter’s safety. It was jarring, but sweet.

“We will do everything in our power to find the culprit,” Jason said. Thalia and Piper nodded quickly. They believed in their friend’s innocence just as much as Lady Athena did. A bit of tension visibly fled from Athena’s posture.

“Thank you,” she sighed. “I must leave you. If I can help you in any way, I will try to.”

She left the room just as quickly as she had come. Piper and Thalia looked as stunned as Jason felt.

“Do we have any leads?” Jason asked at long last. Thalia pressed her lips together in a thin line.

“Before the two of them left, Prince Luke met with them,” she informed them. “I set up the meeting myself. That is somewhere to begin.”

“Somewhere indeed,” Jason said. “It is better than nothing. Let us find Prince Luke.”

Percy awoke groggily. The last thing he remembered was someone saying his name before he had passed out. He felt a stiff pain in his neck and twisted his head around, trying to wake his muscles up. He was bound tightly to a chair, the rope cutting into his skin. His hands and feet were tied together. He slowly opened his eyes but, thankfully, his surroundings were dim and he was not blinded. They were in a small room with rough walls and a stone floor. He recognized the place… it was…

“The dungeons?” a voice from his side muttered. “Really?”

Annabeth. She was alive, then, and well enough to pass sarcastic comments. She was tied in a chair next to him. Her feet were untied, and her bonds seemed looser, but she was still trussed up enough to limit her movement. He groaned.

“Imprisoned in our own dungeons,” Percy grumbled.

“Dramatic irony,” Annabeth sighed. “Or is it situational?”

“Does it _matter_?” Percy snapped. He worried for half a second that he had hurt her feelings before she laughed at him. He made a face at her.

“ _Who_ imprisoned us in the dungeons?” Annabeth said. “And, more importantly, how are we going to escape? This means that your mother is probably here as well, Percy.”

He hadn’t thought of that. They had to get out.

“We were captured on a false trail,” Percy said. “The false trail Prince Luke led us on.”

Annabeth frowned, considering.

“Percy,” she said slowly, as though some horrible truth were dawning on her. “Prince Luke was also present at the Battle of Titan. The battle when the helm went missing.”

“And?” Percy wasn’t following her train of thought.

“What if the helm he gave you, which he said was ‘similar looking’ to the Helm of Darkness...” Annabeth began, but Percy finished the thought for her.

“ _Is_ the Helm of Darkness.”

“If they found it with your things we would be deemed traitors,” Annabeth expostulated. “Damn! The conniving, traitorous little bastard!”

Percy hadn’t heard Annabeth swear before, but somehow he wasn’t surprised.

“We have to warn everyone,” Percy said. “If Luke is the one trying to drive the kingdoms against each other…”

“He wants power,” Annabeth stomped her foot. “And he is perfectly placed to get it.”

Just at that moment, the cell door swung open. Percy half expected Prince Luke to walk through it, but it was another semi familiar person.

“Ethan Nakumara,” Annabeth said sourly. “I wonder who released you from your prison.”

“Yes, your mother was most obliging,” Ethan said cheerfully. Annabeth spat in his direction. He back up a step. “No need to get your panties in a twist, my lady. I’m here to release you from your bonds for a couple minutes.”

Annabeth’s brow furrowed. Percy was also confused - why would they let Annabeth free?

“Just to walk around the cell,” Ethan explained. He turned to Percy. “Not you, I’m afraid.”

Both Percy and Annabeth came to the same realization at the same moment. Ethan was afraid that Percy would overpower him, but he knew he could beat Annabeth in a fight. After all, she was a lady. How could she possibly except to beat a decently trained man? Percy hid a smile.

Ethan untied her bonds roughly. Annabeth stood as daintily as she could manage, but Percy saw her plant her feet in the fighting stance he had drilled into her.

It was pathetically easy. When Ethan was bending over to untie her hands, she head butted him and, with a few well-placed punches, he was out cold.

“You’re pretty amazing,” Percy said automatically. She grinned at him.

“I know.”

Annabeth took Ethan’s sword from him, and his master set of keys. Luke must have had it made for him. That _son of a bitch_ had locked up his mother. He was going to pay. Annabeth cut Percy’s bonds and they left Ethan locked in their own cell. Dramatic irony, indeed. Or situational. Whichever was more accurate.

“You look for your mother,” Annabeth pressed the keys into his hand. “I’m going to explain the situation to Princess Thalia. The others will listen to her.”

Percy nodded, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. She stared at him for half a second. Her expression looked like it did when they were practicing swordfighting. Was she about to hit him? He didn’t know what he had down to warrant tha-

She kissed him. Full on the mouth, kissed him. She tasted like salt and lemons. She drew away before he had the chance to wrap his arms around her, or pull her closer to him, or -

“Be careful,” she whispered. He made some sort of noise that might have qualified as a response. She left him standing there, gawking after her. It took him a solid minute to collect his thoughts, and only that short time because he had to save his mother.

His mother. Right.

He began methodically inching down the hallway, opening the little windows into the cells. Each one was some random prisoner, who begged him to let them out. He ignored their pleas, though it stung his heart. One was a small girl, and he couldn’t bear to leave her in there.

“What is your crime?” he asked her.

“I was only stealing a bit of bread, sir,” she looked close to tears. “We needed the food. The prince ordered my sentence to last for two years.”

Percy fought the urge to punch a wall. He unlocked her cell.

“What’s your name?” he asked quietly.

“Bessie,” she whispered.

“Well, Bessie, run back to your family. If anyone asks you how you got out, tell them that Captain Percy Jackson let you free,” he said. She hugged his legs briefly, then ran up the dungeon stairs towards freedom. Luke. God how he hated the sound of his name, now.

He made his way down the long hallways until he arrived at the last cell. The moment of truth. He peered through the food slot. At first, he though the cell was empty, until he noticed a figure huddled in the corner. Slowly, the figure lifted her head.

“Percy?” she asked, in astonishment.

“Mother?” Percy unlocked the door hurriedly. By the time he had entered, she was on her feet. He had been afraid her time spend captured would diminish her spirit, but he should have known better. She enveloped him in a hug, and her arms were thinner, but just as strong. Her voice sounded the same as always.

“I was so worried about you.”

“You were worried about me?” Percy exclaimed in disbelief. He hugged her back just as tightly. She finally released him, holding him by the shoulders.

“Percy, Prince Luke visited me in the cell. It is he who is behind everything.”

“I know,” Percy assured her. “Ann- Lady Annabeth is going to warn them.”

“Quickly, you must go with her,” Sally urged, pushing him out. “Leave me here, or Prince Luke will sense that something is afoot.”

Percy stopped in his tracks, “I’m not leaving you here!”

  
“Percy, _please_ ,” she said. At his mutinous expression, she laughed. “Percy, I love you more than life itself, but I am my own person. I can take care of myself. I will be safe in this cell.”

“Then take this,” Percy gave her the master key. “You can escape any time you need.”

“Thank you, darling,” she kissed his forehead, even though he was taller than her. “Now go. Find Annabeth. Expose Luke.”

Percy turned to go, then turned back.

“I love you,” he said, a little unnecessarily.

“I love you, too,” she smiled at him. “Now, _go_.”

He went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay they found sally! and i wanted to keep how in the lightening thief she saved herself so i kind of did that, even if its not quite the same. after all, sally is a badass queen and also a softie sweetheart and thats pretty cool. i love her. now we know who the villain is too (even if you already knew lol, who else could it be). now all that has to happen is they have to expose him and save hydrius and exalos... and they have to get together.
> 
> Speaking of, did you like the kiss???? was it too soon??? was it too rushed??? it was supposed to be reminiscent of the kiss under Mt St Helens, so tell me if you got those vibes. love you all <3 
> 
> ALSO - final note I added Bessie in here! Instead of making her an ophiotaurus I made her an innocent young girl lmaooo. kudos to anyone who caught that


	10. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will learns about a patient and Annabeth plots a downfall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty short but ive already written the next one and just have to edit it so it will be up tomorrow! we're so close to ending ahhhh. this has been a wild ride.

“You have to return to Hydrius,” Nico insisted. Will cast a disapproving eye over his patient. Actually, Nico was technically the ‘royal physician’s’ patient, but Will had annexed him. “Tell King Kronos that we are innocent. If Hydrius and Exalos declare war, The Underworld will be destroyed.”

“Yes,” Will agreed cheerfully. “Which is why Frank and Leo are returning to Hydrius. Hazel and I have elected to oversee your recovery since we feel personally responsible. Also, this way we can keep an eye on your court to make sure that you are not lying to us.”

“This is ridiculous,” Nico grumbled. “I am fine.”

“You only recently regained consciousness,” Will said. “Yes, enough time has passed that you most likely do not have rabies, but if you insist on running around the castle, your wound could easily become infected with any other number of diseases. You _will_ stay put. Healer’s orders.”

The infirmary was vacant save for Will and Nico. After it was clear that Nico was in no fatal danger, Hades left to make an announcement to the public. Frank and Leo had gone to pack for their return journey. Will had forced Hazel and Persephone to leave on the excuse that too many people may overwhelm Nico when he awoke. The truth was, he wanted the boy to himself for a little while.

Nico intrigued him. The boy was quiet and shut off. He clearly had something traumatic in his past and, if Persephone and Hades’ worried glances said anything, it was to do with a family member. However, he hadn’t hesitated to jump in front of the hellhound to save Will’s life.

“You are frustrating,” Nico observed.

“So are you,” Will smiled at him. Clearly, his optimism was unnerving Nico. It was absurdly fun to watch the boy get more and more confused. “Although, I should thank you.”

“For what?” Nico clenched his jaw.

“Saving my life,” Will said slowly. “You jumped in front of the rabid hellhound for me. It was brave.”

“It was stupid,” Nico averted his gaze.

“It was nice,” Will shrugged. Nico kept his gaze trained on the ground.

“I wasn’t trying to be nice.”

“I’m trying to thank you, you dolt!” Will snapped. 

“I do not _want_ your thanks,” Nico finally met his eyes. “Or your pity.”

“You think I pity you,” Will said, finally understanding why Nico was so tense. “For whatever reason. Well, I don’t. I think you are the prince of a kingdom - not a large kingdom, but a kingdom nonetheless - who is trying to hide from something from his past. Everyone has things that they are ashamed of, or scared of, or hurt by. It does not make you special, and it does not make you worthy of my pity.”

Nico stared at him, “How did you know?”

“I am a healer,” Will said vaguely. “I make it my job to understand the injuries of others, physical _and_ mental.”

Nico was silent for a few seconds, and Will was afraid he had offended the other boy. Then, at last, he began to talk.

“My favorite person in this world was Bianca, my sister,” he said quietly. “She was supportive, and kind, and smart, and brave. One day, while she was treating some ill patients - she was set to become a healer, like you - she contracted typhoid. She died from it within the week. Ever since, there has been a hole in our lives. My parents look at me as though I am her, sometimes, but I never am. Then they are disappointed. I will never be Bianca. I will never be good enough.”

Will absorbed his story. Some part in the back of his brain registered that he was absurdly lucky to hear about this side of Nico and would probably never hear it if the boy wasn’t feel injured and vulnerable. The rest was reeling from the fact that this boy, this sharply, beautiful boy, was afraid he was not good enough.

“You are not Bianca,” Will said once he had regained his ability to speak. “You will never be Bianca. But you _are_ kind, and smart, and brave. Your parents love you for being you. And you _are_ good enough.”

“You don’t know that,” Nico scoffed.

“You should have seen your parents when you were unconscious,” Will said gently. “Nothing could take them from your side. Until I announced that the danger was past, neither of them looked away from you once. Even then, I had to tell them that it was safer for you if they were out of the room to convince them to leave.”

“Really?” Nico was genuinely surprised. Will wanted to wrap him in a hug but he settled for squeezing his arm.

“You should come to Exalos,” he said, startling even himself with the idea. 

“People who are exiled cannot just reenter a kingdom because it has been many years,” Nico said.

“But you were never exiled,” Will insisted. “You are the _child_ of an exile. There is no law against children of previous banished persons entering the city.”

“And what would I do there?” Nico asked. His eyebrow raised fractionally and his lips twitched. Will found it extremely attractive.

“You could be an ambassador from The Underworld,” Will cast around for ideas. “Or you could be my patient.”

“Why would I do that?” Nico frowned.

“How else am I supposed to see you when I return?” Will asked. A faint flush spread across Nico’s cheeks. He ducked his head to try to hide it, but Will saw it anyway. Will hadn’t even realized he was being flirtatious but, now that he did, he had no intention of taking it back, especially seeing Nico’s reaction. “After all, I cannot simply visit you. The woods are too treacherous.”

“I will consider it,” Nico said formally. Will laughed.

“You do that,” he draped a blanket over the other boy, who did not even resist. “For now, get some rest. I’m sure your parents will want to know that you are awake and talking. And your new sister, Hazel.”

“She’s my - what?” Nico tried to sit up, but Will forced him down. He walked from the room, ignoring the shouts of “Will, wait!” that floated from behind him. He couldn’t quite manage to keep the large grin from spreading over his face, bright as sunshine. Suddenly, the castle didn’t feel quite so gloomy after all.

Annabeth made her way secretly to Princess Thalia’s rooms. She was certain that if she was caught, she would be labelled a traitor if Luke had played his hand correctly. Luckily, the search for the two fugitives commenced outside of the castle because why would the two of them be foolish enough to return? Annabeth knew her mother would never have been so careless, which gave her hope. Perhaps she had an ally in her mother after all.

She pushed open the door to Thalia’s room, and was shocked to find Piper, Jason, and Thalia all conversing in low voices. They turned to her as one when she stepped inside. Piper’s mouth dropped open, then she rushed to hug her friend. Annabeth returned the gesture gratefully.

“We are supposed to be looking for you,” Jason stood. “You are considered traitors to the crown.”

“We are no such thing,” Annabeth put her hands on her hips. “We were framed, as you well know since you have not arrested me on the spot.”

Jason grinned, “Where is Percy?”

“On his way,” Annabeth said. “First he must free his mother.”

“ _What_ ?” Thalia exclaimed. “What is going _on_ , Annabeth?”

Annabeth explained events as she knew them, up till the present. She talked of how she and Percy had formed a temporary alliance to get to the bottom of things, of the Oracle of Delphi, of the missing helm, of Prince Luke’s shortcut, of their abduction and their subsequent escape.

“Prince Luke is behind this?” Thalia did not look devastated. She looked angry. Annabeth smiled on the inside. Her friend was stronger than she had given her credit for. “We must destroy him.”

“If Percy can find his mother, she can testify against Luke since she is the only one who actively saw him in action,” Annabeth said. “The word of a commoner is not much against that of a prince, though. Percy and I will corroborate her evidence, of course, but we are still lower in rank than Prince Luke. Thalia - you are the only one who matches station. Will you stand with us? You can say that Luke did in fact urge us to meet with him and you were the messenger between us.”

“Yes,” Thalia said, without missing a beat. “It would be nice to know what is happening with convoy sent to The Underworld, though. If we can proved King Hades’ innocence, the only reasonable explanation _left_ is Prince Luke.”

Annabeth glanced out the window, “That _is_ -”

She was interrupted by Percy bursting into the room with two people on his tail. Frank and Leo. Annabeth let out a little sigh of relief, but did not meet his eyes. Oh, gods. She had _kissed_ him. He probably did not return the feeling and now she had lost his friendship. _Idiot_ , she berated herself. There was not much she could do about it now, though, and she had a kingdom to save.

“Frank, Leo,” she greeted them, then looked over them with a critical eye. “What _happened_ to you?”

Their clothes were blackened and their skin was smeared with dirt, leaves, and bits of twig. Both were out of breath.

“We were caught in a forest fire on our return journey,” Leo summarized. “Frank nearly burned to death. Thankfully, our horses saved us. Well - Arion. Hazel’s horse. That horse is abnormally fast and we made the return journey within the day. I think the horse took a shortcut.”

“Thank goodness you’re safe,” Piper said. 

“That’s the thing,” Frank, whom Annabeth had never heard speak before, seemed reluctant to speak up, but he did. “We think the forest fire was engineered by someone. It was too localized, and too much of a coincidence. We only sent a message via eagle to King Kronos, Prince Luke, and Lord Poseidon informing them of our imminent return. Do you think someone could have apprehended it?”

“No,” Annabeth said grimly. “Prince Luke perpetrated it. Somehow - I think through Ethan Nakumara - he has been making the woods steadily more dangerous. Remember, he did not approve the convoy’s mission. He did not want you to go to The Underworld, because he did not want you to verify that Sally Jackson was not there. Once you compared stories with King Hades, you could see they did not match up and suspect an inside job. However, you made it there against all odds. He then tried to make the woods too dangerous for you to return. That way, you could not tell Lord Poseidon of the miscommunication.”

“Prince _Luke_?” Frank said, astonished. “I did not like him, but I did not think…”

“We were all taken in by him,” Thalia said fiercely. “Now it is up to us to stop him. We will confront him in front of the court. That should be enough to halt his plans.”

“Hopefully,” Annabeth said. Percy was looking at her strangely. She ignored him. “We must stop him. We need more people to stand with us, though. Our case will look better the more people on our side. Who do we trust?”

“Clarisse and Reyna,” Percy said at once, “They can verify that the rabid dogs were abnormal and they were not attacked again once they decided to return empty-handed.”

“Grover,” Jason suggested, “He was with us tracking the horses. It was he who suggested that Blackjack would only separate from Percy if Percy was taken.”

“Chiron and my mother,” Annabeth added, “They are already somewhat on our side and their status and combined with their command of the respect of many royal members will be a great aid.”

“Then that is decided,” Thalia said. “Who will do what?”

“Percy, you find Grover and Chiron. They are probably together,” Annabeth delegated. “I will take care of my mother. Piper, find Clarisse. Jason, find Reyna. Brief them. Frank, Leo - you must get cleaned up and presentable before we talk to the royal court. Tomorrow, my mother will call a council meeting, and we will confront Luke about being a traitor to the throne.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed. some solangelo (honestly, probably most of it. this isnt a solangelo fic much as i love them). a little bit of annabeth showing her leadership skills. not much in the way of action... don't worry - as you probably guessed, that's happening next chapter :)


	11. The Council

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalia makes a friend and Percy fights a king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the climax which is sad bc im SUPER bad at writing climaxes lol. Still, as always, hope you enjoy :)

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Annabeth asked her for what felt like the hundredth time. Thalia sighed.

“ _Yes_ , Annabeth.”

She loved her closest friend with everything in her, but she could be very overprotective. Thalia felt like she almost looked down on her. Annabeth was smart, for sure. She was also brave and determined. Thalia was sheltered, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t all of those things. She finally had the chance to prove it. Of _course_ she was not about to give it up.

“Very well,” Annabeth stepped back. She was pacing their rooms. Thalia felt the nervous energy in the room. For the past three hours, random people had been in and out, a mixture of Frank, Leo, Reyna, Clarisse, Jason, Piper, and Grover. Even Lady Athena and Chiron had stopped by to go over plans with Percy and Annabeth, the only permanent fixtures. For the first time, Thalia saw that the two of them were leading this entire operation. More than planning and discovering, they were leading. They could direct and coordinate and their minds seemed reach the same conclusions at the same time even though they took very different tracks. 

Thalia recalled Lady Athena’s words from a few day’s - was it only a few day’s? - previously. She had dismissed it as fantasy, of words cutting between their strong bonds, but she was right. Percy and Annabeth were close, closer than friends. They were bonded somehow and Thalia had never seen Annabeth so in tune with anyone else. More than jealousy, it sparked sadness in Thalia. Her own friend hadn’t shared this beautiful thing with her because she hadn’t trusted her enough. Thalia was, after all, the Princess of Exalos. It was a lonely position. She had thought Luke could share the burden with her. When she was with him, she had felt a little less alone.

Now, he was trying to tear their kingdoms apart with war and bloodshed. He was willing to sacrifice innocent lives in order to gain the crown. Thalia admitted to herself, and only herself, that it hurt more than he was willing to sacrifice _her_ life in order to gain the crown. He was going to pay for his crimes, and she was going to be the spearhead that ended him.

“We must all get some rest,” Annabeth was so tense Thalia would be surprised if she was going to sit down. If Thalia was the spearhead, Annabeth was the one who led the spear to the body. And Percy… well, Percy was the wielder. Or perhaps the metaphor was too in depth.

“I will when you do,” Thalia said gently. Annabeth stared at her as though the mere possibility was shocking. 

“I’m going for a walk,” she announced, as though Thalia had said nothing at all.

“No, you are going to sleep,” Percy said. “We were knocked out this morning. You need to preserve your strength.”

Annabeth frowned. It was Thalia’s turn to stare. There was no way… 

“You might be right,” she admitted. Thalia forcefully kept her mouth closed. “I’m off to bed then. You two, try and get some rest.”

“I’m going to visit my mother,” Percy said, offering Thalia informal goodbye. Somewhere in between this morning and now, all the members of the group had lost their titles and ranks. They were working towards a common purpose. They couldn’t afford to waste time with status. 

Thalia couldn’t stand around in her rooms by herself and she certainly couldn’t go to sleep. She decided to take a turn about the grounds. While they were, admittedly, dark, there were small lanterns lining the path that were just bright enough to a magical glow to the garden. She wandered about aimlessly, wishing things could return to how they were yesterday. She had been so happy with her prospects, with things looking up for once. 

“Princess Thalia,” an unfamiliar voice addressed her. “What are you doing wandering about so late?”

“Reyna,” Thalia greeted her once they got closer. “I needed to clear my head. Unfortunately, it is refusing to comply.”

“Would company help?” Reyna said it as though it was her sacred duty, not the offer of a friend. Thalia could see leadership written into her stance.

“Much obliged,” Thalia began to walk. She was used to this. She would air her thoughts out to Annabeth sometimes and the girl would respond with advice and sometimes just a listening ear. It was helpful, if not always entirely effective. “I wish I was like you.”

Reyna stopped walking. Thalia froze. This was, apparently, _not_ like something she was used to.

“Excuse me?” Reyna’s tone was dangerously close to angry.

“I said I wish I was like you,” Thalia’s forehead wrinkled. “That is a compliment. I do not understand why you are angry.”

“You are a princess,” Reyna said with a deep breath. “What about my station could possibly appeal to you?”

“You have _friends_ ,” Thalia sighed. “Real friends. I have people who pander to my every word. The one person I thought would understand was Luke, and apparently he’s a lying, backstabing fool.”

Reyna’s expression turned thunderous.

“I’m not siding with him or feeling any sympathy,” Thalia added hastily. It wasn’t the right thing to say. She had addressed the wrong issue. About now was when Annabeth expressed her condolences and they moved on. Reyna was on the verge of murdering her.

“When I grew up, I didn’t know if there would be food on the table,” her voice was low. Her hand was tight on the hilt of her dagger. Thalia, who was not afraid of much, took a step back. “My father killed my mother, and every day I was afraid he was going to kill either my sister or I. We finally ran away and lived on the streets for months, picked on and humiliated. We nearly died. I won this position through blood, sweat, and tears. And you complain because you are lonely? Do not dare.”

Thalia knew she should back down. Everything Reyna was saying was right. But it had never been in her nature.

“I never worried about food,” Thalia responded. “I worried about war and famines for my kingdom. My personal trauma is significantly less impactful than yours, but that does not make it any less valid. If you do not want to hear me complain, you are free to go - I am not keeping you here. But I am letting out my emotions, not asking you to compare my problems with worse.”

People were so predictable. Their reactions when Thalia riled them up were inevitable. Piper tried acting more cheerful. Leo would make a joke or leave the room. Annabeth would yell at her for hours. Her parents would order her around or freeze her out.

Reyna laughed. It sounded like a laugh of genuine joy.

“Our princess is not a coward,” she said with glee. Thalia wanted to remind her that she was not technically Reyna’s princess, but she did not want to ruin her mood. She had never seen Reyna smile before. “Very well, Your Highness. Lead the way through the gardens and we can vent our emotions together while attempting not to compare them.”

“That is not fair,” Thalia grinned. “I will complain about the holes in my socks and you will complain about the bloodshed on the battlefield.”

“And?” Reyna raised an eyebrow. “Worried you will not be able to stand your ground, princess?”

Thalia’s eyes glinted with the challenge. For once, she was being treated as an equal even if it was with barely covered hostility.

“How could I be worried?” she held out her arm, which Reyna took. “A princess never loses to a soldier.”

“General,” Reyna corrected. Thalia laughed. She did not think of Luke again once that night.

Percy woke up with his hands in tight fists and his jaw clenched. It was not a good omen for how this day was going to go. He dressed in his council meeting clothes and, sure enough, thirty minutes later he got a summons from his father to attend a council meeting Lady Athena had called. When he entered the room, only Prince Luke, Lord Poseidon, and Lady Athena were there. It was strange, knowing his closest ally in the room was Lady Athena, but also reassuring. It was grounding to have her on his side instead of against him. Even Poseidon was not glaring at much at her as normal.

Prince Luke stared at him, “Arrest him!”

“Not yet,” Lady Athena said calmly. Percy started. He had forgotten that he and Annabeth had been declared traitors. His father must have sent him the invitation out of habit. He wondered if Annabeth was invited. Would she show?

Of course she would. He took a deep breath. Around him, Luke was raging - probably aghast that his plan was failing. Lady Athena sent him several cool stares. Finally, he realized that he looked like a petulant child and shut up. He sent a pouty glare in King Kronos’ direction.

King Kronos. Percy hadn’t noticed him sitting in the throne - he was so used to it being occupied by either Luke or his father or empty. He looked a little less frail than usual, for some reason. Percy swallowed.

Thalia, Annabeth, and Piper filed into the room nervously. This time, it was Lord Poseidon who stopped Luke’s complaints. 

“At least hear them out,” Poseidon urged. “They would not dare show their faces unless they had at least a good cover story.”

Percy had eyes only for Annabeth. She looked gorgeous, as per usual. Her eyes were fierce and determined and stared right back at him. The memory of the kiss ghosted over his lips. They hadn’t been alone once since then and the close proximity minus the privacy was killing him. He just wanted to talk to her. Or not talk. That would work as well. A hint of a smile played over her lips which calmed him. They were together. That’s what mattered. 

Behind them, Jason entered with Frank, Leo, Clarisse, and Reyna. Lord Poseidon raised his eyebrows.

“This is rather larger than the general council meetings,” he said. “Have all of you merited an invite?”

“I invited them,” Lady Athena said simply as both Chiron and Grover entered.

“Thank the gods Chiron’s honorarily on the council,” Poseidon grumped. “ _Someone_ who’s actually supposed to be here.”

The twelve members of the council filed in. This included King Zeus, Lady Athena, and Lord Poseidon, of course. There was also Queen Hera, Lady Aphrodite, Lord Hephaestus, Lord Ares, Lady Demeter, Lord Apollo, Lady Artemis, Lord Hermes - Luke’s father, and Lord Dionysus. Percy had meant all of them at one point or another. Some were even from Exalos. The council had not been called in full since the days of the Titan War. It was scary seeing them together.

The throne room could never be called small but Percy had never seen so many people gathered together in it. He managed to edge closer to Annabeth, but not by much. Lady Athena called order.

“We are here to discuss matters of treason and war,” she began. That captured the council’s attention. She laid out the events up till now. She was, Percy realized, a very effective speaker. She laid very little blame on anyone, especially Percy and Annabeth. By the time she finished, Luke’s hasty arrest order seemed foolish and childish.

“What do you propose we do?” Queen Hera demanded. She stood by her husband, whose nostrils were flared. He _had_ backed the arrest order. “They are here. We could arrest them.”

“Or we could hear them out,” Lady Athena said. “Together, they have pieced together much evidence and have come up with a satisfying, if shocking, conclusion.”

The council was hooked. There had been no conflict for years and they were dying for a little. They were not disappointed. Annabeth had planned their testimonies down to the last detail. She had drafted every word and they had practiced reacting to each other until it was seared into their brains. Percy could not have failed even if he wanted to.

He spoke first. He outlined his version of events - he threw in some descriptions of fights to appease Lord Ares who was looking bored. He spoke of deception and framing, and made it sound exciting and dangerous.

Then came Annabeth. She backed him up with facts - the battle where the helm went missing, the trick path they were sent down, then waking up in the dungeons. She made it sound believable and sound.

Next up was Frank and Leo. The two hadn’t liked each other when they set out on the journey, but now their stories complemented each other in just the right places.

Then, Princess Thalia. She correlated their words and added the weight of royalty to their claims. King Zeus was staring at his daughter. The council was staring at the group.

“You are implicating me with these claims,” Prince Luke said, deceptively calm. “You do realize this, do you not?”

Percy was the only one who had noticed his increasing glances at King Kronos.

“We are aware,” Princess Thalia said firmly. Percy admired her strength in the face of a friend turned betrayer. Percy wasn’t sure he could be so assured and he hadn’t even liked Prince Luke. Percy stood.

“We have the another witness with us, if you will allow us to share this testimony,” Percy addressed the council, avoiding looking at Luke. “A commoner, but with the strongest evidence.”

There was a murmured consent from the council. Lady Athena made a motion to accept which was unanimously agreed upon. Luke, not a member of the council, looked furious. So did King Kronos. The doors of the chamber banged upon and in walked… 

Sally Jackson.

Poseidon leapt up and rushed to her side immediately, sweeping her up in his arms and kissing her firmly. The council averted his eyes, as did Percy. He appreciated the love between his parents, but he had no wish to see them kissing in the throne room. 

His father held his mother tightly until King Zeus ordered his brother to sit down. Even then, Poseidon had to be coaxed back to his seat by Sally’s urging.

“Prince Luke imprisoned me himself,” his mother’s voice was strong. Percy was astonishingly proud of her. “I have seen his nefarious deeds first hand. I know, as a commoner, my word means nothing against that of a prince but, hopefully your wisdom shows that all our combined reasoning, including that of Princess Thalia, cannot be false.”

Luke was shaking - with anger or fear Percy couldn’t tell. He didn’t wait for the council’s decision. He did not need to.

“It is a lie!” Luke pointed an accusing finger at Percy. “He and that _girl_ have convinced all their friends and his bitch of a mother to speak out against me.”

Annabeth held Percy back while both King Zeus and Lady Athena had to restrain Poseidon. Luke was trembling like a leaf but he kept shouting. Percy made it all the way to next to the throne before Annabeth threatened to knee him where it would hurt most.

“They want me gone to steal power for themselves,” Luke continued.

Annabeth let go of Percy and leveled Luke with a gaze that reminded Percy eerily of Lady Athena.

“How?” she asked. “If it is true, and you are removed from power, neither Captain Perseus nor I move up in rank. No one does except, probably, Lord Poseidon and he has nothing to do with this testimony.”

“She is correct,” Lady Athena said. “It would not be strategically wise on my daughter’s - or her princess’ - part to share this information unless they were only doing it to uncover the truth. They both stand to gain much from a war and very little from justice and, yet, they pursued that path. That speaks of true strength.”

“Then we have decided that they are to be believed and Prince Luke is a traitor?’ King Zeus asked. Percy held his breath. Lady Athena lifted her head. Chiron was the first to speak.

“Motion to accuse Prince Luke of treachery and imprison him in the dungeons.”

In a horribly anticlimactic moment, the motion passed. Percy blinked. It was over. It was well and truly -

A terrible shriek rent the air, and it was not Prince Luke. King Kronos launched himself from his chair and lunged at Percy, sword drawn. Percy was his wearing decorative council uniform and had no time to draw his sword.

 _I should not have wished for more drama_ , was what flashed through his mind, and then, _oh, gods, that can’t be my last thought._

He fell back as though in slow motion. He saw the sword coming down at him, saw the steel glinting, saw his life flash before his eyes. He shut his eyes, willing the end to be quick

Then he heard the clang of metal. He opened one eye. Annabeth was standing over him like an avenging angel. She had never seemed more beautiful. She defended herself against both King Kronos and Prince Luke. She was good with the dagger - the weapon she had secretly kept with her throughout the council meeting - but not good enough to fend them both off. Apparently, King Kronos had been faking his frailty because he was quick. He was nothing compared to the demon that was Luke, though. Percy spared only a second to think of the irony of Annabeth fighting Luke with the very dagger that he had gifted her, but then he jumped into the fray.

The others were too stunned to fight, but Percy and Annabeth had it well in hand. They fought like they were one, going through the dance they had been through a million times. Neither Kronos nor Luke had a chance. They subdued them both, and Jason and Frank volunteered to throw them in the dungeons. No one objected.

Thalia raised her hand, “Motion to adjourn council meeting at present and recover from events.”

No one even mentioned that she wasn’t on the council.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhh luke is gonna be thrown in jaillll.... now all that's left is an epilogue and boy am i excited to write it! Let me know if you were confused/have any suggestions because i rlly struggled w this chapter and don't think its that great.
> 
> also... do i ship reyna and thalia?? i cannot give you an answer because i truly do not know. this just sort of happened. it can be interpreted as a friendship or a ship i have no control over the characters apparently


	12. The End (and, of course, The Beginning)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They all get their happily ever after, despite the fact that this is no fairytale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an extremely difficult time finishing this up, which is why it's so late. Hopefully it meets your standards and is a good ending to a story that I had an amazing time writing.

“We have been invited by my brothers to attend Poseidon’s coronation,” Hades said. He had summoned Nico to the throne room not five minutes ago - only after he had checked with Will that Nico was alright to walk.

“You are exiled,” Nico said stupidly. 

“I have been… de-exiled, for lack of a better term,” Hades said. “It says here in an accompanying letter that much of King Kronos’ policies are being revised, and many of his banishments, including mine and Persephone’s, have been lifted.”

“Are you going?” Nico asked.

“I cannot refuse,” Hades acknowledged. Then his eyes drifted to behind Nico’s head. “It will be nice, I think. To see them again. Apparently, they thought I had tried to kill our father, when all I did was speak out of turn. It is good to know that we can still be allies.”

 _Allies_ , Nico thought. _No. It is good to know that you can still be brothers._

“Very well, Father,” Nico said formally. “Will you take Mother with you?”

“He is taking everyone with us!” Persephone announced, sweeping into the room. She looked beautiful, as always, and Nico felt a rush of warmth towards her that he hadn’t felt since Bianca died. In the past few days, she had sought Nico out and they had talked honestly for the first time in a long time. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“All of us?” Nico raised an eyebrow. “Shall we leave the Hydrius convoy behind?”

“We are taking them as well, darling,” Persephone rolled her eyes just as Will walked in. Nico felt his heart speed up. He kept his eyes firmly trained on his father.

“I will pack, if I am dismissed,” Nico said. He ignored Will grinning at him. Will’s smile was absolutely, gods be damned, riveting. It was extremely frustrating. 

“Of course,” Hades said absentmindedly. “Please, help the convoy from Hydrius pack as well.”

Nico frowned. Persephone smiled. Betrayed by his own mother, no less.

He finished packing and knocked on Will’s door, which was flung open on the first rap. Will stood there, looking slightly disheveled but otherwise the same as always - which was to say, annoyingly handsome. Nico could appreciate from afar, but being thrown into close proximity with the healer was not making it easy to keep his feelings separate from physical attraction.

“Come to help me pack?” Will asked, stepping aside. He was constantly smiling. Again, annoying.

“Just to check to make sure you’ll be ready to leave on time,” Nico said hastily. “Wouldn’t want you to make my father late.”

“No, we wouldn’t want _that_ ,” he drew out the ‘no’ to sound particularly petulant. He also gave him _another_ smile. Nico’s lips twitched in response. It was a natural human reaction, dammit! “You know, Nico, you _are_ allowed to smile once in a while. You have the intimidation tactics down, so you can let loose.”

“I’m not trying to be intimidating,” Nico said. Even to his own ears, it sounded pathetic. “I just am this way.”

“Oh, right, and you naturally never smile and are rude to your guests, but also naturally throw yourself in front of rabid dogs for a stranger? I have trouble reconciling the two.”

“Then stop trying,” Nico grumbled. “And you’re not a stranger.”

“No,” Will smiled gently this time. Not even Nico could help smiling back, it was too infectious, and sweet, and so entirely _Will_ , and - oh. Oh no. “We’re not strangers.”

Nico almost fled the room, “I must be going-”

“There’s nothing wrong with it, you know,” Will said, taking his hand. Nico didn’t pull away. When Will kissed him, he didn’t pull away. He simply _melted_ . He was the son of King Hades - he was not supposed to _melt_! But he did, and Will felt wonderful and Nico was pretty sure he was never going to leave his arms again.

“Nothing wrong with it at all,” Nico said softly as he finally drew away. Will carded his hands through his hair. 

“Alright, Lord Intimidation,” he said playfully. “Let’s get you to Hydrius. Then we can see about you position as an ambassador, hm?”

“What for?” Nico teased.

“Well, I have to see my boyfriend _somehow_ ,” Will said without missing a beat. Nico blushed.

“Yeah, I guess you do,” he said with a grin. “I guess you do.”

“I told you I’d be lady-in-waiting one day,” Piper teased Annabeth. “And you would marry a rich officer.”

“I’m not marrying anyone,” Annabeth said mildly even though Piper caught her blush. “That seems forever ago, doesn’t it?”

It didn’t for Piper. She felt as though whole worlds had been shifting under her feet and she hadn’t been aware of a single thing. She had never felt more useless in her life - which was why she was making up for it with an abhorrent amount of cheerfulness. Even _she_ was surprised at how happy she could make herself seem. Looking at her best friend, though, Piper could see the difference. Annabeth had grown into her own. She had proved her cleverness were enough to save two kingdoms, but she hadn’t sacrificed her integrity along the way. Piper envied her that. She also envied the way a certain Captain of the Guard couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Piper had asked to dress Annabeth for Lord Poseidon’s coronation ceremony. Dressing was, apparently, the only thing she _could_ do. She had to admit, Annabeth did look rather spectacular. Her dress was the same color of her eyes, with pearly white layers of tulle, bunched with pearls, layered over the skirts. Her bodice was simple and sleek, with long, sheer arms and pearls lining the place where it hit the skirts. Her hair was also laden with pearls, and her eyes were sparkling grey.

Piper herself was clad in a dress that shifted with the light. Thalia - who had complained vehemently the whole time - was wearing an explosion of blue and gold that was a staunch reminder that while Hydrius and Exalos were now close allies, they would never be the same kingdom.

“Are you alright?” Annabeth turned to her friend. Piper put the finishing touches on her eye makeup before smiling. 

“Of course I am!” she said happily. “How could I not be? Our kingdoms are safe, you are being promoted-”

“I didn’t ask if the kingdoms were happy, or myself,” Annabeth cut her off. “Piper, I have known you for a long time. I know you act cheerful when you feel awful. You do know that, as Thalia’s lady-in-waiting, you will be called upon to perform several important duties.”

Annabeth had, once again, hit the heart of the matter. Piper let her smile drop.

“How could I not have noticed a thing?” she sighed. “I was too busy lusting after Sir Jason to see that Prince Luke was tearing our kingdom apart with ease.”

“You were not lusting after him,” Annabeth corrected. “You fancied him. That’s normal, Piper. And the only reason I saw it was because I was actively looking for a conspiracy. That was not your job - it was mine. Your job was to manage the intracices of court for Princess Thalia and you did just that. You will continue to do just that. And if you ever feel useless, just know that you will have plenty of opportunity to prove yourself in future. Being a lady-in-waiting is not an easy burden to bear.”

Piper’s worry shifted nature.

“Do you think I am up to the task?” she asked fearfully.

“I know of no one better suited,” Annabeth kissed her cheek. It was a surprising gesture - Annabeth did not often initiate physical affection.

“Thank you, Annabeth,” Piper squeezed her hands. “Now, go. You musn’t be late for a coronation that you’re a part of.”

The ceremony was fairly boring. Everyone looked splendid, the weather was nice, and the people were delighted by the festivities and the revocation on taxes for the next month. The words were expected and plain but Piper felt her heart warm for each new development. She had never been part of a coronation where all those attending were near her heart. She felt less useless now, and more of a proud family member.

Firstly, Poseidon was crowned king of Hydrius. With that change, Percy was elevated to Crown Prince, since King Kronos’ prejudice was the only thing actually barring him from holding that title. No one disputed either claim. With that, Frank was promoted to Captain of the Guard since Sir Jason had refused and decided to remain second-in-command. Then came Annabeth. Lady Athena herself named Annabeth advisor not only to Princess Thalia, but Prince Percy as well as a liaison of sorts between the two kingdoms. Piper couldn’t hide the beaming smile.

She and Thalia shared a look. There would be a wedding in near future if she wasn’t wrong about the nature of their relationship. She didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.

Annabeth wanted to talk to Percy more than anything. She had gotten over the embarrassment of kissing him and now just longed to talk to him. She didn’t feel like discussing political agendas or her plan for the future of the two kingdoms. She was sick of being hailed a hero and a master tactician.

So, of course, just as she had slipped out of the feast, her mother found her. 

“Annabeth,” she said. Annabeth wasn’t as loathe to see her as she might have been. Ever since her successful exposition of Prince Luke, Athena had acted a little warmer.

“Mother,” Annabeth made sure to keep her expression neutral. Athena was silent for a few moments. Annabeth’s brow furrowed. Was she trying to intimidate her? Her mother was never at a loss for words… unless…

“Annabeth,” Athena said again, taking a deep breath. Annabeth turned to her in amazement. Lady Athena, needing to steel herself for something? Unheard of. “I wanted you to know that I am very proud of you.”

Annabeth relaxed. She could accept praise, “Thank you, Mother.”

“And,” Athena added. “That I know that I have not been a very good mother.”

Annabeth froze.

“I have only ever been distant and cold to you,” Athena continued ruthlessly. Now that she had begun, she seemed to have gained her bearings. “I have no excuse. I never wanted a daughter. You have proved that you are useful to King Zeus, and to Exalos to a whole.”

Annabeth’s eyes stung. Useful. She was useful. That was the biggest compliment she had ever gotten from her mother, but it wasn’t enough. Not anymore.

“If that is all, Mother…?” Annabeth turned away rather rudely, but Athena did not leave. The two of them stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity.

“I will never be able to give you the love that you deserve,” her mother said at last. “But, perhaps, that Perseus Jackson will be able to.”

Annabeth spun to face her mother, astonished. Lady Athena was already gliding away from her. Annabeth smiled.

“Lady Athena,” Poseidon approached her. For the first time since they were all children, it was not with malicious intent. Athena flinched all the same. Poseidon remembered their childhood as much as anyone else. The constant teasing that had morphed into mocking that had turned to flirting, then back to insults. They had always managed banter rather well - whether it was to hurt or to heal.

“King Poseidon,” she said. Her voice was quiet.

“Athena,” Poseidon said again. She looked up at him, eyes defiant. “I wanted to say… I’m sorry.”

Athena looked taken aback, “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“I treated you rather abominably,” Poseidon said. “I favored you and then, when our engagement was announced to us, I tossed you aside as though I hated you.”

“It was a rather sudden change,” Athena said coldly. “I have quite recovered, thank you.”

“And thrived,” Poseidon agreed. “I do not think we would ever have worked well together, had we been married. And I am quite in love with my wife. But I should never have treated you like that, all the same. Our rivalry - the people have always assumed it was your fault for being cold and calculating. But I know it is mine.”

Athena looked at him, really looked at him. “Then, perhaps, we can put it behind us,” she said carefully.

“Yes, perhaps,” Poseidon raised his glass to her. Athena returned the gesture.

“After all, my daughter will quite ensure the two kingdoms are given good council,” Athena added. Poseidon laughed.

“Yes, my lady,” he said. “She will. I rather imagine she will keep my son in line, as well.”

“I rather imagine she will as well,” Lady Athena said, always determined to have the last word. Poseidon let her have it. She did deserve something from him, at least.

Prince Luke hadn’t been wrong, Percy reasoned. Now, it was nearly impossible for him to get out of the castle without an entire goddamn entourage. All he wanted out of life was to see Annabeth, talk to her, and maybe kiss the living daylights out of her. In no particular order. 

He snuck away from the feast with his usual tactic - getting Jason and Frank to cover for him. He knew he was lucky and should be honored, but all he wanted right now was to see a familiar face, someone who wouldn’t listen to his every command and who certainly wouldn’t fawn over him. All the new attention was disconcerting.

“Percy?” he would recognize the voice anywhere. He spun around. 

“Annabeth!” he said, relieved. She was standing on the beach, bare feet in the sand, staring out at the waves. The full moon reflected off the water and onto the many pearls sown onto her dress, which she had bunched up in her hands to keep it from getting dirty. The result was she looked quite angelic, with the shining moonlight and the glowing hair and the sparkling eyes. She ruined it by scowling and crossing her arms. Her skirts dropped into the sand but she didn’t notice. She looked all the more beautiful.

 _I’m whipped_ , Percy thought. He grinned at her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, approaching her.

“Have you been avoiding me?” and then, because it was Annabeth, “Is it because I kissed you? I’m sorry I was too forward, I just thought…” here she broke off, blushing. “Nevermind. But-”

“No, I haven’t been avoiding you,” he finally reached where she was and stepped close to her. Her skirts rustled lazily in the ocean breeze. “I couldn’t get away. You weren’t too forward.”

Annabeth tilted her head at him, “No? You’re the Crown Prince of Hydrius. You could have any girl you wanted, you know, including the princess.”

“Is this sounding just as ridiculous to you as it is to me?” Percy couldn’t stop smiling. “Annabeth. It’s me.”

“Okay, it does sound rather stupid,” Annabeth admitted, still not looking straight at him. “But it’s true.”

“Hm,” Percy said, and then, because it was Percy, he took one of her hands. “You’re not making things easy for me, you know.”

“Oh, Seaweed Brain,” she met his eyes. “I’m never going to make things easy for you.”

When she kissed him, he felt as though he was going to melt into a puddle of bliss. She tasted like the sea, and lemons, and maybe a bit of heaven, too. He could’ve kissed her for hours, but there were hoots behind him, and they broke apart, gasping a little and smiling, too.

“Well, well, the lovers finally figure it out,” Thalia was the first to reach them. Behind her was a whole cohort of people - _their_ cohort - Piper, Jason, Frank, Thalia, Leo, Reyna, Clarisse, Grover, Will, and a dark-haired boy Percy didn’t recognize.

“I think they need to cool off,” Clarisse said with a wicked grin. Annabeth paled and held up her hands, but it was too late. Clarisse had already picked her up and waded with her into the ocean.

“Hang on!” Percy yelled, running after them as best he could in his uniform. “That’s my beloved, you kidnapper!”

“Come and get her,” Clarisse’s evil smirk widened as she promptly dropped Annabeth. Percy surged forward. The water wasn’t deep enough to be any real danger, but the two of them flopped around a bit, trying to regain their footing. Clarisse at this point had waded back out and the others were standing on the beach, cheering. Annabeth laughed and grabbed Percy around the waste.

They were promptly knocked over by a wave, both their clothes hopelessly ruined. Percy drew her in for another kiss. She had seaweed in her hair. She smiled at him.

“I love you,” she said, and maybe it was too early but it was so clear to Percy that saying it back almost felt redundant. He did it, anyway. Then he scooped her up and kissed her hard.

“Will you marry me?” he asked, as an afterthought.

“Sure,” Annabeth agreed, picking a piece of kelp from his forehead. “Look at me. Managed to worm my way into Hydrius royalty after all.”

“You trickster, you,” Percy smiled.

“Get out of the water and come to the party, you thundering oafs!” Clarisse yelled.

“Let’s go join the traitors,” Annabeth said, pulling him towards the beach. Percy stared at her, outlined against the castle lights. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He would follow her into any world, any lifetime. She smirked at him and pushed him over.

Yeah, he was the luckiest person alive.

Excerpt from _A History of Olympus._

_The kingdoms of Hydrius and Exalos were close allies after the imprisonment of Prince Luke and King Kronos. King Poseidon and King Zeus, along with their brother, King Hades, ruled the lands fairly. And when their time came, Queen Thalia - who never married - King Nico, and his husband King Will, achieved their parent’s level of greatness. Of course, all have heard of King Percy and Queen Annabeth of Hydrius, the greatest leaders to ever rule Hydrius and, indeed, any kingdom. They were said to be made of legends. It seems, indeed, that they were never real people at all, but simply born into greatness. But perhaps the tales of their origins have simply been lost to time, buried under centuries of admiration and love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't BELIEVE this. It's over!!!!! my precious baby story. I hope you liked it and enjoyed the percabeth because it makes my life better and probably yours, too, if you're here. thank you so much for reading and liking and encouraging me to keep writing. love you all <3


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